For Monica Mills, the path to doctoral study has been shaped by reflection and a sense of purpose. Now a Holmes Scholar at Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development, Mills ensure her personal experience and insight inform her contributions to the field of education as she remains rooted in authenticity, community and a belief that education should help students discover who they are.

“My journey to and through education has been interesting,” Mills says. “I’m sure it began much sooner than I think because so much of it feels divine.”

Long before she entered her doctoral program, Mills was already observing the complexities within education systems. As a middle school student in an honors program, she was one of only a few students of color in a school largely composed of Black and Brown students. The experience continued in high school. Later, when she returned to that same high school as a math teacher, she again found herself in a familiar position—one of the few Black educators teaching primarily Black and Brown students.

“That gave me a unique perspective,” Mills explains. “I was a living representation of disproportionality.”

Those experiences sparked her curiosity about racial dynamics in education and eventually led her to pursue a PhD in urban education at Temple University.

“When I started my PhD program, I was so happy to be here,” Mills says. “Philadelphia felt like the best place to continue to learn. Which is all I wanted to do. Learn.”

Yet her journey did not unfold in a straight line. After stepping away from the program for some time, Mills experienced a period of profound reflection that ultimately reshaped both her personal outlook and academic direction.

“I gained significant clarity from what I can best describe as a deeply spiritual experience,” she says. “I started asking myself questions like, Am I who I say I am?”

That reflection brought her back to Temple with a renewed sense of purpose and a new research focus.

“My interest is now spirituality in education,” Mills explains. “Because who are we, really? And who do we really want our students to become?”

Finding Community Through the Holmes Scholars Program

While returning to Temple marked an important chapter in Mills’ journey, joining the Holmes Scholars program introduced something equally powerful: community.

“I became a Holmes Scholar because educators of color are dope,” Mills says warmly, “and I wanted to connect with as many as I could.”

For Mills, the opportunity to connect with scholars who share similar experiences has been transformative.

“For so long, all I saw was sparsity,” she explains. “Being in rooms full of Black and Brown educators was only a dream for me. I’m already grateful that Holmes has afforded me this experience in my waking hours.”

The Holmes community has also provided tangible opportunities for growth. Mills has already attended the Holmes dissertation research and writing retreat at Boston University, as well as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Annual Meeting (AACTE) in New Orleans.

“It almost sounds unbelievable,” she says, “but I’ve already developed lifelong friendships with scholars I met at those events.”

At Temple, the Holmes Scholars network has also become its own support system.

“There are seven Holmes Scholars here at Temple,” Mills says. “And I’m not sure I would have connected with them if it were not for Holmes. Now we have our own mini community within a larger one.”

Reimagining Education

Mills believes education is at an inflection point—one that requires educators to think more about the purpose of teaching and learning.

“I don’t know if people feel it, but the world is changing—rapidly,” she says. “Many of the ways in which we teach are the pedagogies of yesterday," she added, noting the importance of being part of leading the change.

For Mills, the work is both academic and personal. “In this profession, belief systems are changed through research,” she says. Her research explores how spirituality shapes educators’ practices and how those perspectives influence students’ learning experiences.

A Community That Accepts the Whole Person

Mills says the Holmes Scholars Program represents something beyond professional development. It offers a space where scholars are welcomed as their whole selves.

“What I can say with integrity is that there is nothing like being accepted for who you truly are,” she says. That sense of belonging makes the experience extra meaningful for Mills.

“Holmes actually feels like a community,” Mills says. For scholars navigating the demands of doctoral study, that kind of community can make all the difference.