In 2019, I completed my doctoral journey and officially became Dr. Dana!

On the other side of that experience, I found myself filled with pride, gratitude, and a deep sense of purpose but I also carry a clear understanding of what it took to get there.

Because the truth is, my journey to completion was not straightforward.

Like many doctoral scholars, I experienced doubt, discouragement, and moments of deep uncertainty about my ability to write, research, and persist. There were times when I questioned whether I was a strong enough writer or a capable researcher, and those thoughts often slowed my progress more than I realized at the time.

As a Black woman doctoral scholar, I also learned how powerful internal narratives can be. I had to actively shift the way I spoke to myself.

That shift not only supported me in completing my dissertation, but it also shaped the way I now support other doctoral scholars—especially women navigating similar moments of overwhelm, resistance, and self-doubt.

Today, I serve as a Scholar Development Coach, supporting doctoral scholars from coursework through completion. My work centers on helping scholars show up differently, think differently, write differently, and persist differently at every stage of the doctoral journey.

I support scholars in building confidence as academic writers and researchers by moving through writing resistance and perfectionism.

My academic background includes a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Learning from Fordham University, along with 20 years of experience as a professor, instructional coach, and educator across higher education and K–12 settings.

My work has also been shared through academic publications and conference presentations focused on equity, literacy, and educator development.

Across all of my roles, I take a culturally affirming approach to scholar development; one that is grounded in care and community.

I believe doctoral scholars thrive when they are supported not only in what to write, but in how to show up throughout the journey.

This belief is the foundation of Just Write Dissertation Coaching.

Because doctoral writing is not just about producing chapters. It is about becoming the kind of scholar who knows how to move through the process with clarity, confidence, and consistency.

And no scholar should have to do that alone!