Elissa Frazier

I began my doctoral journey as a high-achieving educator with passion, motivation, and an unyielding work ethic. I had a plan, my program sequence, and a graduate advisor, but I soon learned I needed more than that. My friends and family (as much as they loved me) could not provide the guidance I desperately needed.

 

I had no guidance on how to shift from a Masters mindset to PhD expectations, how to build and leverage high-impact relationships in academia, how to navigate academic spaces where few looked like me; or how to directly connect what I was learning in my doctoral program to career growth. I was overwhelmed and I considered leaving my program. 

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Now, I have built a network of 25 plus mentors to fill those gaps which have yielded over 145K in academic awards, leadership development, a competitive fellowship, five publications, research partnerships with faculty, and presentations at national conferences. No one does it alone; and my academic and professional network has made a tremendous difference in guiding me through my doctoral journey without losing the core of who I am.  

 

With NAVCAP, I coach PhD/doctoral students through the doctoral process and help them to build their own success network. But more importantly, I help them build confidence to meet program milestones and position themselves for  career growth they seek.