April Beuder is the principal of Our Lady of Guadalupe School, a TK-8 Catholic elementary school in Hermosa Beach, California. Prior to that, she served as vice principal at American Martyrs Catholic School, and in Preschool through 8th grade classrooms.
April decided to apply for admission to LMU’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice program to better understand the complex issues surrounding the call to promote social justice at the elementary school level. She was eager for the space and time to study the effect that embedding principles of servant leadership throughout the elementary school curriculum has on early adolescents' student engagement.
April conducted a qualitative case study to examine early adolescent students’ perceptions of their service-learning program experiences at one Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA). The purpose of the study was: (a) to understand how the powerful tradition of the Church related to doing works of social justice and outreach was experienced by students in one ADLA Catholic elementary school in the form of experiential service learning, and (b) to explore whether associations exist between the students’ perceptions of their Catholic identities and their service-learning experiences.
While the doctorate of education will positively impact April’s professional career, her true interest in the program extends beyond just the attainment of another degree. She was interested in the journey: interested in learning how to conduct research with focus and integrity, interested in learning from and with other educational leaders, and most of all, interested in a program that would provide her the structure and tools to explore issues of social justice and student engagement.
April is deeply grateful to the program faculty and staff for guiding her through this journey. It has been an honor and a privilege to learn alongside the other members of her cohort, each of whom has helped her grow with their brilliance and passion. Onward!