Despite the obstacles of homelessness, Brandie Medina became the first black woman to get a doctorate from St. Edward’s University in the United States.
Brandie, a 42-year-old woman, earned a doctorate in the Education of Leadership and Higher Education programme at St. Edward’s, the university’s first PhD programme since its founding.
Brandie was the only black woman to complete the PhD programme, which graduated six students. The PhD programme was “designed to prepare students for success in the rapidly changing world of postsecondary education,” according to the university’s website.
Brandie, who earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Prairie View A&M University, chose St. Edward’s University because she wanted to be an alumna of the college like her parents.
“It’s not really highly expected of Black individuals to go to predominantly white institutions, so for both of my parents to finish their degrees there, and to go off and become highly successful, that resonated with me,” Medina said.
“It showed me that by going to St. Edward’s and finishing my doctorate, as long as I persevere, I can be highly successful as well,” she added. Brandie wrote her dissertation on “The Intersectionality of the Professional Black Woman in Education Administration.
Brandie stated that she faced several challenges trying to finish the program, but it was worth it to be able to join the “small sliver” of Black female doctorates from around the nation.
Medina says she enjoyed her time at Prairie View A&M and felt connected to cohorts that shared similar values and experiences. When 2002 rolled around, she was preparing to graduate with her bachelor’s degree from the HBCU and then go into the military. Little did she know, her parents’ mindsets toward the school took a 180-degree turn.
“My parents had already enrolled me in the master’s program at Prairie View, and I knew nothing about it,” Medina said to her shock at the time.
As part of her master’s program, Medina continued studying architecture abroad in southern France.
Once she graduated with her master’s degree, she still considered a career in the military, but ongoing Middle East conflicts quickly changed her plans. The U.S. military’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan persuaded Medina’s parents to push their daughter in a different direction, effectively killing her military plans.
Back in Texas, Medina had to decide her next steps. She tapped into one of her passions: working with children. She applied to be an elementary school teacher, which began her next life chapter.
