Jersey City Educator Hipolita Hernandez-Sicignano Earns Doctorate at College of Saint Elizabeth

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Hipolita Hernandez-Sicignano has successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at the College of Saint Elizabeth.

MORRISTOWN, NJ (04/17/2013)(readMedia)-- Jersey City ESL teacher Hipolita Hernandez-Sicignano has successfully defended her dissertation at the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., to earn her doctorate in educational leadership. Hernandez-Sicignano's dissertation is entitled, "Teachers' Perceptions of English Language Learners Inclusion: An Action Research Study."

Hernandez-Sicignano has more than 12 years of classroom experience as an elementary teacher and lead teacher in a special education department.

"As a former English as a Second Language (ESL) student and current ESL teacher in Hudson County, this program provided me with a better understanding of servant leadership," said Hernandez-Sicignano. "It helped me develop a better understanding of helping my students in believing in their potential regardless of the obstacles that they may face. The core of servant leadership is empowering people and leading by example. I feel the program prepared me to respect and motivate teachers and students."

She holds a bachelor's degree from Montclair State University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from New Jersey City University. She resides in Nutley, N.J., with her husband John, son Giovanni, and twins, Isabella and Matteo.

The doctoral program at CSE, which is dedicated to preparing leaders who are committed to social justice and ethical practice, began in August 2007. "Integrated into all course work and learning activities are the central values and beliefs necessary for school leaders to function as morally purposeful stewards for their school communities," states Msgr. Thomas J. McDade, Ed.D., course of study coordinator for the CSE doctoral program in educational leadership. "This philosophy of servant leadership represents a major shift from the traditional paradigm of school leaders as managers of resources which is so prevalent in today's practices."

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, N.J., the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 1,700 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and two doctoral degree programs; an Ed.D.in educational leadership and a Psy.D. in counseling psychology. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.