With graduation season upon us, we at PeerForward want to take the time to celebrate some of our amazing Alumni for their postsecondary education accomplishments. 

Now introducing: Dr. Janae Newsom! This spring, PeerForward Alumni Janae Newsom earned her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from California State University, East Bay. This is a monumental achievement that has taken years’ worth of hard work and dedication. Janae was able to accomplish this all while juggling parenthood and writing a book. We at PeerForward are inspired by her resilience and so proud to see her reach this milestone! We spoke with Dr. Newsom to learn more about her experience pursuing this advanced degree and what it means to her to finally hold the title of doctor: 

What does it mean to you to earn this degree/certification? 

I am passionate about Social Justice and education. To be able to combine them both felt like soul work, and the process of becoming through earning my doctorate was incredibly transformational. 

What role did PeerForward play in seeing you through your education journey? 

PeerForward as a college access program showed me what was possible for me as a young person. It helped spark an interest in expanding my learning. 

How did your friends/peers influence, inspire, or motivate you to achieve your educational goals? How did you do the same for others? 

My friends and peers have always been incredibly supportive. What I’ve learned is that in order to see myself completely and appreciate my friends and peers completely, I needed to learn to validate myself and discover what my inner voice was trying to articulate. 

What was the biggest obstacle to you obtaining your degree and how did you overcome it? 

Initially, education for me was an escape from my circumstances. In fact, once my doctorate comes in the mail I will hold four degrees. However, my last two degrees are the ones which meant the most to me because they were motivated not by a means to escape my circumstances but a refusal to allow my need to escape to keep me from pursuing my passions, in the name of survival. 

Why do you choose to serve as a PeerForward Alumni or stay connected to PeerForward? 

Though I no longer actively serve as an Alumni, I choose to stay connected to PeerForward because, in my experience, this has been an organization that reaches back to their Alumni and has a genuine interest in their futures.