Jen Spencer, PhD

I attribute my success to perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to keep moving forward despite setbacks. My path has not been linear—I entered education at 39 after a decade in healthcare, and since then I’ve faced professional challenges, repeated licensure attempts, and moments of failure that ultimately strengthened my growth and shaped my research. Completing my dissertation on teacher trauma, supported by national data from educators, reinforced my purpose in giving voice to experiences that are often unspoken in the field. I also credit my success to the guidance of strong mentors like Glenna Crooks and Nancy Holstapple, and to my diverse background in education, disability services, and program leadership, which has given me a practical, real-world perspective. Above all, I believe success comes from staying committed to your purpose, learning through experience, and continuing to take action even when the path is uncertain.

The best career advice I’ve received came from Nancy Holstapple, State Director of Special Education at the Indiana Department of Education, who emphasized the importance of staying focused on priorities and not getting sidetracked. Her discipline and ability to remain centered on goals demonstrated to me how critical clarity and focus are for long-term success. More recently, my mentor Glenna Crooks, whom I connected with through Advanced Corporate Partners as a military spouse, encouraged me to shift my mindset from continuously collecting credentials to recognizing that, with a PhD and my own company, I am now the product and should focus on building and developing my business. Both perspectives have been instrumental in helping me refine my direction and approach my work with greater intentionality.

My advice to young women entering this field is to persevere through difficulty and stay committed even when the path is not clear. My own career in education has been anything but linear—I entered the field in 2015 after a decade in healthcare, and I’ve experienced setbacks, failures, and moments of doubt along the way, including a very difficult second year of teaching and multiple attempts to pass licensure exams. Those experiences taught me that failure is not the opposite of success, but part of the process. There were also times when I misunderstood policies, received poor advice, or had to revise major work like my dissertation multiple times, but each challenge ultimately strengthened my direction. I would tell young women not to wait for the perfect timing or conditions—if something is meaningful to you, take action and learn as you go. At the same time, be intentional about how you show up professionally: bring solutions, not just problems, and focus on contributing value in every space you enter.

The biggest challenge in my field right now is establishing myself as a recognized expert while building visibility in a space where there are many similar voices, even with a PhD. I am also in the early stages of growing my business, which requires constant decision-making and often feels like building the plane while flying it—an experience that strongly mirrors my dissertation process, where I had to learn quantitative research from scratch and ensure strong methodology, ultimately gathering data from 220 teachers through SurveyMonkey on teacher burnout. At the same time, these challenges are also opportunities, because there is a clear need for research-based, authentic dialogue around teacher burnout and trauma, especially for educators who feel unable to speak openly due to fear of judgment or professional consequences. My work allows me to elevate those voices through data and direct quotes, contributing to a field that is urgently seeking both clarity and honest lived experience.

The most important values to me in both my work and personal life are perseverance, focus, boundaries, and a solutions-oriented mindset. Perseverance is central because I believe progress requires consistent action, even when the path is unclear or challenging—you cannot wait for the perfect timing or conditions if something is truly your calling. I also value setting and respecting boundaries, both personally and professionally, because I’ve seen how easily individuals can become overextended when those limits are not clear. Equally important is the ability to bring solutions rather than only identifying problems, as I strive to be seen as someone who adds value and contributes constructively to an organization. Finally, I deeply value focus, which I learned through observing leaders like Nancy Holstapple, whose discipline in staying aligned with goals reinforced for me the importance of not getting sidetracked and consistently prioritizing what matters most.