{"id":9945,"date":"2024-11-22T22:33:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T03:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=9945"},"modified":"2026-03-13T16:14:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:14:43","slug":"online-doctoral-program-opens-doors-to-new-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2024\/11\/22\/online-doctoral-program-opens-doors-to-new-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Doctoral Program Opens Doors to New Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column9945_86e1bb-85\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>When his alarm clock sounded in the middle of the night, <strong>Dr. Damien Holguin<\/strong> woke up and logged on to his computer as quietly as possible, trying not to disturb his sleeping family. It was 2 a.m. in the United Arab Emirates \u2014 5 p.m. in the United States \u2014 and time for his synchronous doctoral class at Wilmington University.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did get a lot of comments through the course: \u2018Damien, why are you doing this? You\u2019re killing yourself.\u2019 I didn\u2019t see it as that,&#8221; says Dr. Holguin, the manager of leadership development for Etihad Airways. \u201cI lost some sleep, but all doctoral students are going to lose some sleep.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He humbly highlights his fellow students\u2019 commitment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was always impressed by my other colleagues who finished a full day of work and then came right to that class. They\u2019re switched on and ready to contribute,\u201d says Dr. Holguin, who earned his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/organizational-learning-doctorate.aspx#intro\">Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, Learning and Innovation (OLI)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A doctorate \u201ccan open a lot more doors,\u201d he says. \u201cNow you\u2019re seen as an expert. You\u2019re seen as a trusted advisor \u2014 in some ways, an internal consultant for the firm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The son of an Australian mother and Mexican American father, Dr. Holguin moved from Australia to California in high school and then joined the Marines. He studied international development at UCLA and began working abroad in 2002, living in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Saudia Arabia and now the UAE.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Path to a Doctor of Education Degree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The son of an Australian mother and Mexican American father, Dr. Holguin moved from Australia to California in high school and then joined the Marines. He studied international development at UCLA and began working abroad in 2002, living in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Saudia Arabia and now the UAE.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His wife is a Thai citizen, and their two teenagers have grown up in the Middle East. While juggling a full-time job and WilmU coursework, family remained his top priority.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-image.kb-image9945_52f461-68:not(.kb-specificity-added):not(.kb-extra-specificity-added) > figure{margin-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);}.kb-image9945_52f461-68 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image9945_52f461-68\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Wilmington-University-Dr-Damian-Holguin-2-360x360-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Holguin with his wife and two children.\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-9946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Wilmington-University-Dr-Damian-Holguin-2-360x360-1.jpg 360w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Wilmington-University-Dr-Damian-Holguin-2-360x360-1-250x250.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Wilmington-University-Dr-Damian-Holguin-2-360x360-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><figcaption>Dr. Holguin with his wife and two children.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s something you don\u2019t push pause on,\u201d Dr. Holguin says. \u201cYou\u2019ve still got to be there for the kids.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He appreciates the support he received not only from his family but also his employer and his cohort during the three-year OLI program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had a great cohort. You become very close,\u201d says Dr. Holguin, whose dissertation examined mentoring among middle managers. \u201cI thought we had excellent instructors. I thought we had excellent guidance in the way that the courses were structured.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Anthony Buffone<\/strong>, the OLI program chair, calls Dr. Holguin \u201can outstanding part of our program both personally, professionally and academically.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDamien was always an active member of the cohort, which is something his members appreciated. He is a very thoughtful person who always took the time to listen first then provide insight into the issue or discussion at hand,\u201d Dr. Buffone says. \u201cIt was my pleasure to be his advisor and to learn about organizational life in the Middle East as well as to get to know him and his family over his time with the program. I am looking forward to seeing the next level of success that Dr. Holguin will achieve over the upcoming years.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supporting Student Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At Etihad Airways, Dr. Holguin is busy mapping a new leadership framework and improving efficiencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe journey hasn\u2019t stopped. I continue to learn every day,\u201d he says and offers some advice to prospective WilmU students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnything\u2019s possible if you have a good schedule,\u201d Dr. Holguin says. \u201cDon\u2019t let the geographical limitations hold you back.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When his alarm clock sounded in the middle of the night, Dr. Damien Holguin woke up and logged on to his computer as quietly 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