Being a mentor, coach and role model is the primary focus for the life and career of Dr. Regina “Gina” Smith ’23 Ed.D. In addition to the example she is setting for her three daughters, she also is also the founder and president of EduCoach Success Academy. Her Doctor of Ethical Leadership (Ed.D.) degree from Olivet Nazarene University has been instrumental in helping her develop the leadership skills she needs for life and career success.
When her daughters were still young, Gina enrolled in a doctoral program at another university. “I remember asking myself, ‘What are you doing?” she recalls. “Then in 2020, I knew it was the perfect time for me to pursue my doctorate. Two of my daughters had already graduated from college. I had always thought I would pursue a career in higher education, and I had my eye on a job that I wanted.”
As she researched available programs, Gina also began talking with friends, co-workers and other professionals for program recommendations. Olivet’s program kept coming to her attention.
“I wanted a program with a Christian focus in a university that truly cared about their students,” she says. “I needed the flexibility of a fully remote program for where I was in my life at that time. At Olivet, I found a program that focused on ethical leadership instead of a particular career path. I knew I had found the right program at Olivet.”
Gina was surprised by others’ reactions to her enrolling in a doctoral program. As soon as she began letting people know she was a doctoral student, she began receiving invitations to attend professional conferences she had never attended before, to do presentations, and to sit on panels. Even though she didn’t have the degree yet, people respected that she was pursuing her doctorate.
All in for Leadership
“Soon after I started Olivet’s Ed.D. program, I was selected to participate in a one-year leadership development program at the college where I was working,” Gina says. “The Leadership Chair Academy was a phenomenal professional experience for me. That was a very challenging year because I also continued with my Ed.D. program.”
Gina credits Dr. Elizabeth Schurman — one of her professors and then the dean of the program — for championing her success while caring for her as a student and a person. And the care and support of her Ed.D. cohort continues to this day.
When she saw how what she was learning in Olivet’s Ed.D. program was so applicable and helpful for her on the job, Gina was even more thankful. “I realized that I was bringing a different leadership style to my team because I was growing as a leader,” she says. “I credit my cohort for much of my growth. We created sort of a leadership incubator by bringing our workplace challenges to one another and addressing them together from what we were learning.”
Although the Christian focus of Olivet’s Ed.D. program was one of the reasons Gina chose Olivet, she didn’t really expect the Christian component to be strong. “Our Christian faith was actually woven into everything we studied and did,” she says. “Learning how to be a Christian leader in a world that isn’t always accepting of our Christian values is vitally important to me. Olivet truly walks the walk in this area of their program.”
Pleasant Career Surprises
After receiving her Ed.D. degree in 2023, Gina did pursue the job she had wanted at the college where she was working. But God had something even better in store for her. She was hired as the Executive Director – Programs by the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. She served in that position for one year until the grant funding ended.
“I began applying for jobs I would love to do,” Gina says. “But I often heard that I was overqualified. I knew the Lord was preparing me for something greater in education, training and development. My job was to address my mindset, to trust in Him, and to be open to doing what I love to do in a new area.”
Gina started her own business, EduCoach Success Academy, providing tailored leadership coaching and corporate trainings designed to support career goals and elevate workforce effectiveness. “I’m using my leadership skills in a different field than I was expecting,” she says. “My Ed.D. degree is opening new doors for me. Now, I can do more than open the door. I can sit at the tables, be productive and be valuable in my leadership role as a consultant.”
“My daughters look to me as their barometer for success,” she adds. “All of them are very motivated professionally. They are giving back to me what I poured into them when they were younger. And they like to tell people that they kept me in line as I was going through my Ed.D. program!”
Learn more about ONU’s graduate degree programs at Olivet.edu/academics/graduate-programs. For more information or to enroll, email onlineadmissions@olivet.edu or call 877-465-4838.
