For Dr. Tracy Miller, Columbia International University has always been close to home.
She grew up minutes from campus, attended 4-H events here as a child, and watched as the university served the Columbia community. Decades later, CIU became the setting for a doctoral journey that strengthened her leadership, deepened her faith and opened doors she never anticipated.
Today, Dr. Miller serves in educational leadership, teaches in CIU’s PhD in Organizational Leadership program and mentors doctoral students. Her story is one of perseverance, purpose and the lasting influence of a Christ-centered education.
From CIU’s Backyard to the Doctoral Classroom
By the time Dr. Miller began considering a doctoral program, she had already earned four degrees and spent years working in education. This time, she wanted a program where her Christian faith and leadership skills could grow together. She also wanted to show her daughter, then a high school junior, that pursuing a big goal was possible.
“CIU was really in my backyard,” Dr. Miller says. “Doing a doctoral program there offered the chance to be close to home and within a community that felt familiar.”
Mentorship That Made a Difference
The PhD in Organizational Leadership exceeded Dr. Miller’s expectations, particularly because of the people who invested in her.
She credits her mentor, Dr. Jim Dolson, with providing the encouragement and support she needed to keep going.
“He was amazing,” Dr. Miller says. “His faith was so secure. He trusted me and encouraged me. He wanted me to have a doctorate just as much as I wanted to have one.”
Overcoming Challenges
At the beginning of her doctoral journey, Dr. Miller suddenly lost vision in her right eye. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to finish, but she prayed and persisted.
The support of faculty and classmates encouraged her along the way.
“At CIU, students have very capable and understanding people surrounding them who love them, embrace them, and pray for them,” Dr. Miller says.
Since completing her PhD in 2022, Dr. Miller has stepped into new opportunities, including serving as an assistant principal for elementary and middle school students. She has also begun teaching and mentoring students in the same PhD program she completed.
“Tracy has always been conscientious about her work, but she is also deeply invested in people,” says Jim Dolson, program director for CIU’s PhD in Organizational Leadership. “Seeing her mentor doctoral students is a wonderful example of what we hope to see in our graduates: leaders who use what they have learned to invest in others and serve wherever God has called them.”
For Dr. Kevin Jones, dean of CIU Global, Dr. Miller’s journey illustrates the beauty of a program where doctoral students already have three years of leadership experience.
“Tracy came to CIU as an experienced leader,” says Dr. Jones. “The PhD helped her sharpen her leadership abilities and prepare for new opportunities to use them.”
A Doctoral Program for Leaders
For prospective students considering a PhD in Organizational Leadership, Dr. Miller offers simple advice: take the first step.
“Even if you are hesitating, you should do it,” Dr. Miller says. “And then lean on the Lord for everything.”
For Dr. Miller, that first step began just minutes from home. It led to a doctorate, new opportunities in educational leadership, and a new calling to invest in other leaders.
Today, she is helping doctoral students navigate the same journey she once walked herself.
Your next chapter could begin with the same decision.
Explore CIU’s PhD in Organizational Leadership, recently ranked No. 1 by Forbes Advisor among its Best Online Ph.D. Programs in Organizational Leadership, or request information about CIU’s other doctoral programs.
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