Doctoral Journey

This is the start, but not the beginning.
Long before I set foot in NJCU’s Ed Tech doctoral program, I was already moving toward something bigger — though I couldn’t always name it.

There were days I worked for a dream I didn’t yet understand, building skills like bricks, stacking hope like scaffolding. I carried the weight of my community in my heart, knowing that education and advocacy could be the foundation for something lasting.

Now, here I stand at the gates of NJCU, the first step in a new chapter. But my path to “more” began years ago — in every conversation, in every act of service, in every late night spent learning when no one was watching.

This program is my launch, my leap, my living promise: to educate, to advocate, and to build a future where we rise together.

The journey starts here. But I have been walking toward it my whole life. ~ Gustavo