Christopher Rzigalinski
B.A., M.A., Ed.D. (Expected 2028)
I knew I made the right choice to enroll in the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy program at the University of Texas-Austin the moment I sat down at orientation. It was a long journey to get to that moment, 10 years after declining admission to a Ph.D. program in Performance Studies and walking away from adjuncting positions in American Studies and English at a university. I thought I was going to be exiting academia forever. But the intervening decade gave me personal and professional experiences to help me actualize the life-altering potential of the unique practitioner-focused program that Drs. Wilcox and Nava developed.
Becoming an effective 21st Century leader in higher education demands compassion, genuine curiosity, willingness to break silos, and a service mindset. Dr. Clement Price, my mentor, taught me that educational interventions, social justice advocacy, and knowledge of history are the foundational tools for responsible community engagement. I sharpened these tools during my time away from higher education as an organizational team-building coach, a freelance journalist, a music curator and cultural historian, a meditation instructor, a museologist utilizing yoga philosophy to make museum collections more inclusive, and an acolyte of improv comedy. The improv mantra “Yes, and” helped me tie together those disparate threads, inspiring me to continually ask how I can take the situations I’m given and find ways to make them better. Moreover, this experience that was only possible with distance from higher education helped me rediscover my passions for student development, curricular innovation, and service-oriented programming.
I chose the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy program because I knew it would challenge me with academic rigor, in-person energy, and unparalleled professional development opportunities. For me, there was no better place to do this work than in Austin, a microcosm of global politics, culture, and educational issues. I’m excited to see where my experience at UT guides me. Whether I end up rising through the community college ranks or find myself returning to university spaces, I’m confident that the Ed.D. program is preparing me for not only a successful career in higher education, but to cultivate a transformative vocation. I will remain forever grateful for the ways in which the experience is bringing me closer and closer to the human being I am destined to become.
