WASHINGTON – Ahead of Howard University’s Virtual Ceremony for the Conferring of Degrees happening Saturday, May 9, Rayeanne King, Ed.D., successfully defended her dissertation as a Ph.D., candidate within the School of Education and received high acclaim for not only completing the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies doctoral program in strong academic standing, but, being triumphant through the many obstacles she faced. Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Robert Palmer, Ph.D., says, King is the epitome of resiliency.

“I'm in awe of her perseverance and her dedication and commitment to achieving her goals,” Palmer explains. “Embedded in Rayeanne’s story is the importance of having a good support system. Her support system, inner strength, and tenacity have propelled her to great heights, particularly in the midst of some very challenging circumstances. Her story is certainly inspirational and serves as a great example for many of us who have ever felt like forsaking our dreams when the road ahead seemingly seemed insurmountable.”

The Office of University Communications sat down with King to discuss her growth during her time at the University and the many challenges that nearly derailed her from achieving her goals.

What single word would you use to describe your perspective as a Spring 2020 graduate of Howard University?

Dream. I’m originally from Polk County, Florida. My family didn’t know much about college until my grandmother and mother went as adults. I was in 6th grade, and I remember seeing something about Howard University on television. I found my mother in the house and was like, “Mommy, I want to go to Howard University and be a doctor!” She had no idea where Howard was, but she supported me nonetheless. I had a dream as a kid to come to the Mecca and become a doctor. Not many people can say that their childhood dream came true.

Tell us about your matriculation through The Mecca.

I started the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies doctoral program in Fall 2013. I found a lump in my groin in October 2013, but the doctors dismissed it. That December, I experienced horrible symptoms, and none of the medical doctors could figure out what was wrong. It wasn’t until I could no longer walk that I was hospitalized at Howard University Hospital on February 11, 2014. On February 18, 2014, I was diagnosed with stage-4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma, specifically a rare aggressive cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma. I was in the hospital three months straight developing heart failure, while my kidneys were shutting down and I had fluid in my lungs. I was dying quickly, and my mother had to decide whether to treat me with chemotherapy, which could possibly kill me. She decided to treat me, and I almost died three times. During the process, I had to learn how to walk again, and I developed some short-term memory loss due to the chemotherapy. Then, when I went home to Florida to finish my treatment, my sister almost died in August 2014 from a rare condition called achalasia. Her esophagus was deteriorating over time, and she was risking a heart attack. She fortunately received emergency surgery. I decided to return to Washington, D.C., and finish my degree in February 2015. Less than a year later, January 2016, my mother had to have an emergency double bypass. I made the decision to come home to care for her. I resumed my program at Howard in the fall of 2016, paying a portion of my tuition out of pocket. However, in Fall 2017, I ran out of student loan money, and owed a little more than $11,000. From then on, I had to start paying for my schooling out of pocket. Along with being a teacher, I was blessed with angels who decided to hire me for extra jobs. I once had to sit out for a semester to pay off a balance, but I was always blessed with a way to pay. My sister, who is a mother of 5 children, helped pay off my tuition. My mother would also send me extra money to make sure I had enough. The process of finishing my degree was a group effort and a labor of love by those around me. 

I’m sure you never expected that you’d be defending your dissertation virtually – how was that experience for you?

Defending my dissertation virtually due to COVID-19 was a blessing. COVID-19 has been the source of pain and sorrow for so many people; however, it gave me a beautiful moment. My family is in Florida, and I was able to have all of them with me [at my defense]. My family would have been unable to travel for my defense and graduation, so I would have been alone. It was so amazing to have all my friends there for the process, and my mentor was able to log in and watch me complete my dream. I am so grateful for how my journey with Howard ended. 

How has your journey as a Howard student shaped you into the person you are today?

This journey has made me resilient! It pushes me to try almost anything, despite how afraid I can be at times. I couldn’t find a conceptual framework for my research, so I made my own conceptual framework with the support of my dissertation advisor Dr. Lisa Grillo and my dissertation committee Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez and Dr. Robert Palmer. While creating my conceptual framework, I wanted to start my own company, and that is what I did. I started Growing Seeds Educational Services, and I have my own podcast. I have developed a strong faith, and I truly believe that the only way to fail is not to try. 

What advice would you give current students who may be dealing with difficult situations?

I would tell a student experiencing a difficult situation not to give up. You have to persevere, and you have to be resilient. That doesn’t mean it won’t be difficult or that you won’t cry, but you have to endure the journey. I received my best advice early in my career, which was, if you are not given an opportunity, then you make your own. Lastly, remember this is just a portion of your story and not your whole story. 

King says she plans to continue working on her company, Growing Seeds Educational Services, which provides consulting and training services to support schools and educators in developing strong, high-quality data-driven instruction. She’ll also be continuing her fellowship with the National Council on Measurement in Education, while learning Spanish and writing scholarly articles related to her dissertation. 

WHUT-TV and WHUR 96.3 FM will broadcast Howard University’s “Virtual Ceremony for the Conferring of Degrees in Course” on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 11 a.m. ET. The ceremony will be available to watch online at WHUT.org and WHUR.com. Visit commencement.howard.edu for the latest information, including virtual ceremonies for the individual Schools and Colleges of Howard University. 

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 70 Fulbright Scholars. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media contact: Ramzey Smith, Office of University Communications, ramzey.smith@howard.edu