Cultivating Courage: Identity Alignment and Personal Growth in a Social Justice EdD Program

• In Event: Graduate Student Success: Mentoring, Identity, & Institutional Change

Abstract

In a time of intensifying backlash against educational equity, this study examines how a long-standing, interdisciplinary EdD program cultivates personal and relational capacities essential for transformative leadership. Using educational design research (EDR), we analyzed interviews with 34 alumni alongside program artifacts to explore how graduates develop courage, resilience, and values alignment. Grounded in critical theories of identity, resistance, and adult learning, our thematic analysis identified four patterns: identity alignment, resilient navigation, adaptive learning openness, and community-rooted empowerment. These emotional and relational capacities comprise a hidden curriculum vital to sustaining equity work. We recommend that leadership programs embed structured reflection, relational support, and critical identity development to foster the inner growth and collective strength needed for justice-centered educational transformation.

Authors

• Violet Ballard, San Francisco State University

• Barbara A. Henderson, San Francisco State University

• Chu Hsi Tseng, San Francisco State University

• Robert Gabriner, San Francisco State University