Student Spotlight: Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed, College of Management and Technology
The Walden University Writing Center is privileged to work with talented students. In the Student Spotlight Series, we aim to support incredible work our students do, both in and out of the classroom. The goal of the Student Spotlight Series is to provide the Walden community with a place to build bridges and make connections by developing shared understanding of the diverse and varied student journey. Students share stories about their writing process, their efforts towards social change, and their motivations for pursuing higher education. We ask questions, and students generously answer.
This Student Spotlight features Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed, student of the College of Management and Technology.
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This Student Spotlight features Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed, student of the College of Management and Technology.
What prompted you to pursue your Doctor of Business Administration degree at Walden?
Pursuing a doctoral degree has always been a dream of mine. However, once I started working after obtaining my master’s degree, it started to seem like a far-fetched goal as a result of the busy work schedule I faced. Luckily, as I was exploring online doctoral study options, I discovered Walden University. The proposed study plan, faculty, and flexibility offered by the program at Walden finally enabled me to leap into my dream of obtaining a doctoral degree.
What are you planning to research and write about for your doctoral study project, and what do you anticipate are the social change impacts of your study for yourself and others?
I am planning to write about the relationship between leadership and innovation. I believe that leadership has the power to introduce positive organizational effects, such as increased innovation. Therefore, through understanding the type of leadership that is conducive to positive organizational factors, it is possible to introduce positive social impacts. Furthermore, I currently find myself in a leadership position as Deputy CEO of at my place of employment. Therefore, I am looking for ways to enhance my ability to positively influence people through my leadership. One of my long term goals is to become an entrepreneur. Therefore, leadership and innovation are highly relevant to me.
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| Lilly, smiling |
How do you hope to apply the work you’ve done as a student to the work you will do after graduating?
I plan to apply the lessons I obtain on leadership to alter my personal management style to result in a positive workplace environment. In addition, I hope to elevate the performance of the company I work for by enhancing the level of innovation through the use of leadership. I am inspired by social initiatives that target wealth creation for low-income communities, and I am interested in initiatives that introduce employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to help communities sustain themselves financially. This connects to the work I do because the company I work for targets job creation and equality of representation of women in the workplace. In addition, my organization train employees to ensure that their employment prospects and earning potential are improved. My education at Walden is enabling me to obtain an in-depth understanding of the importance of introducing a social mission into all of the activities we engage in.
What successes have you had at Walden so far, and how have you overcome challenges you’ve faced?
So far at Walden, I have been able to develop my APA and academic writing skills. In addition, I have been able to perform well in my classes through the guidance and feedback I have received from the faculty at Walden. However, one of the main challenges I have faced is my work and travel schedule. Although it can still be difficult to manage my time efficiently, I have developed this skill a great deal. I am now able to pre-plan and identify how to adjust my schedule to meet my deadlines. Additionally, some of the countries I have visited for work often have internet restrictions, meaning that my access to the student portal and myPASS has been cut off. However, my faculty and the Writing Center have been extremely cooperative, enabling me to continue my program and receive support.
You started using the Writing Center almost immediately when you started your DBA program. What drew you to using the Writing Center, and what Writing Center resources have you found the most beneficial?
I was drawn to the Writing Center initially as I was unfamiliar with APA guidelines and requirements. Once I started booking appointments with a writing instructor through myPASS, the reviews I received revealed the benefits of gathering more information on academic writing. I have benefited from paper reviews by finding my academic voice and focusing on forming my thesis statement. Some of the most useful lessons I have learned are proofreading strategies, building an APA complaint reference section, forming strong thesis and topic sentences, and using the MEAL plan for paragraph formation. The Writing Center has helped me and continues to help me strengthen my academic writing skills. In addition, I continue to learn and expand my knowledge base on APA guidelines.
How do you find the time to make appointments each week, and what additional resources would you recommend to your fellow students?
I have continued to frequent paper review appointments with the Writing Center from the first time I experienced them at Walden. I found that the instructors, through the paper reviews, offered feedback that was immensely beneficial to me. Therefore, that has motivated me to keep making appointments week after week. In addition to paper reviews, I often utilize Grammarly and it helps me to go through the notes provided on the Writing Center’s grammar webpages. I recommend that my fellow students use the Writing Center’s paper review services and Grammarly to receive writing support.
Keep tuning into the blog to read more posts in our Student Spotlight Series, and consider using our paper review services and Grammarly to support your writing, as Lilly kindly suggested here.
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September Webinar Preview
It's back to school season and, if you are a new student, returning student, or if you have never taken a break, there is that feeling of getting a fresh start that comes with September. To get into the academic mood, consider attending one of the Writing Center's September webinars. They cover a variety of topics relevant to writing assignments in your Walden University classes.
The Walden University Writing Center presents weekly webinars on a range of topics related to scholarly writing, APA style, and the writing process. In addition to webinars, the writing center offers paper reviews, live chat, and a podcast to support writers during all stages of their academic careers.
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Here are the September webinars:
Date: Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Time (Eastern): 6:00 - 7:00pm
Audience: All students
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Time (Eastern): 3:00 - 4:00pm
Audience: All students
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Time (Eastern): 12:00 - 1:00pm
Audience: All students
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2017
Time (Eastern): 7:00 - 8:00pm
Audience: All students
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2017
Time: 4:00 - 5:00pm
Audience: Doctoral students working on final capstone draft
The full list of September webinars can be found on this page. Should these dates and times not work for you, remember that we record all sessions. The webinar recording archive houses all past webinars. Happy webinar viewing!
The Walden University Writing Center presents weekly webinars on a range of topics related to scholarly writing, APA style, and the writing process. In addition to webinars, the writing center offers paper reviews, live chat, and a podcast to support writers during all stages of their academic careers.
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AWA Student Spotlight: Ashley Hill
The Writing Center’s Administrative Writing Assistants (AWAs) are at the front line of the writingsupport@waldenu.edu inbox, performing necessary tasks to make the Writing Center run smoothly. Writing Center AWAs are an integral part of the Writing Center as they communicate regularly with students. But, the AWAs are also Walden students, and thus integral to Walden University itself. That’s why we’d like to share some of their stories of academic success, professional accomplishment, social change work, and advice for other Walden students. In this spotlight series, we show our appreciation for all their hard work so that others can be inspired by their stories as well.
Today's spotlight is on Ashley Hill, a student in the College of Health Sciences.
Originally from Ohio, Ashley now lives in Georgia after traveling around bit. As a graduate of Walden’s Masters in Public Health program, Ashley continued her education by enrolling in Walden’s PhD program in Public Health, specializing in Epidemiology; she currently scheduled her final oral defense. After graduation, she plans to teach and work in the field of infectious disease. Committed to Walden’s social change mission, Ashley is interested in public health for social change—health issues such as the growing issue of opioid dependency, the Zika virus, violence against women, and necrotizing fasciitis (the focus of her dissertation). As a single mother, Ashley balances working on her doctorate degree, spending time with her daughter, and volunteering for emergency preparedness for a local public health district in central Georgia. We asked Ashley some questions about her work as an AWA and tips she has for writers.
Walden University Writing Center (WUWC):What do you enjoy about your AWA work?
Ashley Hill (AH): I enjoy the plethora of activities we do as AWA’s, but I enjoy helping students in any small way the most.
WUWC: What are the most common questions you find in the writingsupport@waldenu.edu in box and what feedback do you provide regarding these questions?
AH: Common questions sent to the writingsupport@waldenu.edu inbox are often questions about referencing specific sources (i.e. journals, books, or websites). For the best understanding, I refer students to the common reference examples, institutional reports, and webpage references.
WUWC: How have you struggled as a writer and how have you overcome that struggle?
AH: I had an issue with anthropomorphism and as I work on my dissertation, I’ve experienced issues with writing concisely. I think learning about what writing issue patterns may arise in your writing is the first step towards revising. Second, I found help from peers, dissertation workshops, and my family to improve my writing.
WUWC: What writing (drafting, revising, editing) tips do you have for other students?
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| Ashley's family |
WUWC: What Writing Center resource(s) have you used that you found helpful, and why?
AH: There are quite a bit of resources at the Writing Center that are helpful. As I mention previously, the reference list pages but also outlining, templates, tables and figures, paper reviews (if you are working on course work, the premise, or prospectus), [Academic Skills Center] workshops (if you are working on your dissertation), and so much more.
WUWC: As a Walden student yourself, what academic advice would you give other Walden students?
AH: Listen to your professors and allow them to guide you. In my experience, there were an endless number of great professors at Walden. Additionally, use the resources available—the Writing Center, Career Services, Center for Research Quality, and any other sources. There are some universities that do not offer this amount of help so be grateful Walden has these resources.
Ashley celebrated her three year anniversary as an AWA this past April, and we have been greatly privileged to have her as part of our Writing Center—for the Writing Center, AWA’s such as Ashley are a valuable part of our Writing Center support team.
The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work. Students can email WritingSupport@waldenu.edu and expect a reply from one of our expert AWAs.
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Thursday Thoughts: Self-care and the Walden Student
Being a student is just one of the ways you define yourself.
All of us here in the Writing Center have many titles and fill many roles. We
know what it is like. Parent, spouse, employee, student, caregiver, and friend
may be just some of the ways you think of yourself. Missing from that list is:
self. So many of us fail to take care of ourselves in the process of filling
the other roles, which tend to either serve or focus on the needs of others.
Although student
may seem like another responsibility, this title can actually work to help you
care for your self. Stick with me on this one! While being a student requires a
lot of work, rigorous thinking, and demands on your time, it also provides you
with the opportunity to think about who you are as a person. What will I do
with my degree and what I have learned? How do my actions have a positive
influence on society? What are my goals? What do I want to get done today? Some of the tasks you do as a
student, from discussion posts to proposing research, ask you to reflect on
these things. That reflection can serve double-duty as it completes the
assignment and gives you a moment to think about what you do and who you are as
a person.
Also, as a Walden student, we have resources to help you
find wellness and moments of reflection:
- Include positive affirmations as part of your daily routine.
- Explore mindful writing practices in this two part WriteCast podcast series: Taking Care of Yourself with Mindful Writing and a Mindful Writing Walk-Through
- How can your cat help inspire writing?
Remember that writing is more than a task. It is a process that involves both your intellect and body. As writers, we have to remember to take the time for self-care and not overlook the ability for writing to be part of that self-care regimen. If you have any writing and self-care tips, please share them with us in the comments!
The Walden University Writing Center is dedicated to supporting students throughout the writing process, including care of, and a focus on, the student as a writer. Our goal is to improve the writer, not just the writing.
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AWA Student Spotlight: Leah Marie Silverman
The Writing Center’s Administrative Writing Assistants (AWAs) are at the front line of the writingsupport@waldenu.edu inbox, performing necessary tasks to make the Writing Center run smoothly. Writing Center AWAs are an integral part of the Writing Center as they communicate regularly with students. But, the AWAs are also Walden students, and thus integral to Walden University itself. That’s why we’d like to share some of their stories of academic success, professional accomplishment, social change work, and advice for other Walden students. In this spotlight series, we show our appreciation for all their hard work so that others can be inspired by their stories as well.
Today's spotlight is on Leah Silverman,
a student in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Leah Silverman is currently seeking her PhD in Public Policy
and Administration. Having completed her coursework, and awaiting approval of
her prospectus, she will be working on her dissertation soon. Leah’s moved
around the United States since she was a child. While she lives in the
Mid-Atlantic region now, she’s lived in the South, Midwest, New England, and
the Intermountain West. One thing Leah learned from living in various places
across the U.S. is that a person “can find great landscapes, great people, and
great food wherever you go.”
We asked Leah to share about her AWA work, tips for students reaching out the Writing Center writingsupport@waldenu.edu inbox, Writing Center resources she uses and values, and how she, as a student, balances life, work, family, and or other responsibilities. Here are her responses:
Walden University Writing Center (WUWC): What do you enjoy about your Administrative Writing Assistance (AWA) work?
Leah Silverman (LS): I’m so excited about helping other students succeed at Walden. I have had the best experience as a Walden student, and I love giving back to this community. Getting answers to writing and APA questions may be a small part of students’ experience at Walden, but I hope to provide the information they need to be successful in their academic progress.
WUWC: What are the most common questions you find in the writingsupport@waldenu.edu in box and what advice / feedback do you provide regarding this question?
LS: Many of the questions I see are related to correctly citing unusual sources. Sometimes a source doesn’t quite fit the template the APA manual provides. Sometimes a reference must be pieced together with different components from multiple templates. The advice I give to students in these circumstances is to remember the purpose the references list serves: guiding your reader back to the source in the most direct, accessible way. Often, putting that into perspective makes it clear how best to cite an otherwise confusing source.
WUWC: What Walden resources have you used and how have they benefited you?
LS: I am very fond of all Walden’s webinars. Of course, the Writing Center has a huge collection of webinars that focus on everything from brainstorming tips to APA guidelines to paraphrasing and more. As well, the Library, the Career Center, the Academic Skills Center, all have amazing webinars. Walden has an amazing student support system, and I’ve found the webinars key to accessing all of that information.
WUWC: How do you, as a student, balance life, work, family, and or other responsibilities?
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| Leah's family |
LS: I’m a big fan of my day planner. I do best when I schedule time in blocks so that I can categorize my responsibilities. If I allow one hour for housework, then I do as much laundry as I can in that hour, but when time is up, time is up. If I have scheduled two hours to dissertation research, then I do as much as I can in those two hours, and then I call it quits and move on to the next thing. Admittedly, some days just don’t go according to plan (especially with children who are not concerned with my schedule), and I’ve learned to let it go and try again tomorrow.
Thanks, Leah! We at the Writing Center are lucky to have such a dedicated colleague—you are a true asset to us as part of our Writing Center support team, and we know that students appreciate your work as well.
The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work. Students can email WritingSupport@waldenu.edu and expect a reply from one of our expert AWAs.
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