Susan Johnson has spent more than two decades of her life helping children. Her doctoral pursuits at Mississippi State assist her with helping them even more.
Johnson, a speech pathologist at the Columbus School District for two decades, currently balances her time as an assistant supervisor of special education in the school district and pursuing a doctorate in elementary, middle and secondary education administration. She says that seeing students advance in their education and capabilities drives her to further her own education.
"When you see them come in as 4-year-olds and then see a 9-year-old student in the third grade, you look at them and see how much progress they've made," said Johnson, who anticipates a 2012 graduation.
Her goal of finding ways to improve education for children led her to change professional roles, from assisting students directly to providing support for parents and teachers to help their children. A desire to help students even more led Johnson to MSU, where her dissertation involves comparing test scores of students who attended pre-kindergarten with those who didn't.
"I've always had a great job," she said. "I love helping children."