Thinking About "Student to Scholar"

I just got back from the International Transformative Learning Conference last week, held at Teachers College. One particular roundtable session about moving from considering oneself as a student to becoming an academic scholar. The discussion inspired me to reflect on how I am managing this transition in my own life as I work to complete my dissertation. At this conference, I was a presenter in a roundtable discussion titled Selecting Supportive Spaces for Personal Transformation: A Reflection on How Personality Characteristics and Past Experience Impact Support Group Success. This research was an extension of a collaborative inquiry group formed in my doctoral cohort. More importantly it was a milestone in my personal transition from student to scholar because it was not only my first time presenting at an academic conference, but also my first time attending an academic conference. Here's a snapshot of my co-presenters after we finished the session.