Marylawn of the Oranges Principal Christine Lopez Earns Doctorate at College of Saint Elizabeth

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Marylawn of the Oranges Principal Christine Lopez, third from left, poses with CSE faculty Dr. John Crews, Dr. Margaret Roman, and Rev. Msgr. Thomas McDade.

MORRISTOWN, NJ (10/20/2011)(readMedia)-- Christine H. Lopez of Edison, N.J., 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. Lopez' dissertation is entitled, "It Takes a Community: Professional Development Strategies to Support Inclusion in a Catholic High School." She is the principal at Marylawn of the Oranges Academy, a college-preparatory high school sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth.

"In reflecting on our experience in the doctoral program, we are transforming from administrators to servant leaders, accepting our roles as stewards who facilitate the personal journeys of those in our school communities. We were given the opportunity to stretch ourselves as leaders, to see ourselves in a different light, and to remember that the journey is more important than the prize. For me, this journey was solidified in a quote from our first assignment, The Alchemist, 'Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth' (Coelho, 1993)."

Lopez, who is a member of Saint Helena's Parish in Edison, N.J., received her bachelor's degree from Connecticut College, a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutger's University, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Kean University. She and her husband, Sergio, have been married for 25 years. They have two children, Sergio, III, a graduate student at NYC Polytechnic University, and Alexandra, a sophomore at Connecticut College.

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 Dr. John Crews, Ed.D., CSE educational leadership program chair. "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, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.