Three doctoral graduates received dissertation awards at the annual Doctoral Symposium in November: Dr. Kesha Hood, Dr. Nikki Proctor, and Dr. Kacie Renfro. Read more about the impact they are making in educational leadership.
Dr. Kesha Hood ’24
Dr. Kesha Hood received the Alice P. Naylor Outstanding Dissertation Award and Excellence in Equity & Inclusion Award for her dissertation, You Can Get There From Here: Exploring the Impact of Trauma on Youth Through the Narrative Constellations of Multigenerational Parents in the Community. Her committee was chaired by Dr. Jason Lynch and included Dr. Ashley Carpenter and Dr. Sonja Parks.
“Both of these awards feed my focus because it starts with me,” noted Hood. “It starts with all of those willing to join the movement of work towards healing our communities. We must always remember that the most valuable resource we have is not a material commodity but rather the center of all that we do — our children.”
“We have an enormous responsibility to care for children, to keep them safe, and to ensure they are learning,” she continued. “As an educator, winning this award strengthens my purpose, and it supports my passion for the fact that we can not give up, we must not give up on the journey to true equity for our children.”
“I appreciate and am honored by these recognitions as this was a work of heart for a community that I love dearly,” she added.
From Laurinburg, North Carolina, Hood received her Bachelor of Arts in history with elementary education certification from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
“Over 40 years ago I made a promise to my great-grandmother that I would get ‘as much education as I could’,” recounted Hood. “She had to drop out of school to help her family and education had always been very important to her as a means to move beyond your circumstances. She was not able to do this but she put everything she had in me to pave the way for me to be educated and to understand the importance of it.”
After being in education for over 20 years, Hood determined it was time for that final step — earning a doctoral degree in her great-grandmother’s honor.
“I chose educational leadership because my goal is to remain in public education and to someday become a superintendent,” she added.
Hood has accepted a position as the Director of High Schools and Principal Coach for Scotland County Schools.
“I plan to stay in this community and take on other responsibilities as they are afforded to me,” said Hood.
“In the future, I would love to also work with future educators in an adjunct professor position,” she added. “I am currently working on my AIG certification through UNC-P, and I am also working on my ISTE certification.”
Dr. Nikki Proctor ’24
Dr. Nikki Proctor received the Alice P. Naylor Outstanding Dissertation Award and Excellence in Research Methodology Award for her dissertation, Problematizing Institutional Effectiveness: A Foucauldian Poststructural Policy Analysis. Her committee was chaired by Dr. Star Brown and included Dr. Alecia Jackson and Dr. Vachel Miller.
“I am incredibly honored to have received the Naylor Outstanding Dissertation and Excellence in Research Methodology awards,” said Proctor. “I spent countless hours reading, researching, writing, and revising my dissertation; these awards serve as a tangible acknowledgment of my effort.”
“The awards also remind me of how fortunate I am to have worked and learned alongside my chair, Dr. Star Brown, and committee members, Dr. Alecia Jackson and Dr. Vachel Miller,” she added.
From Clinton, North Carolina, Proctor received her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a concentration in social studies education from North Carolina State University and her Master of Science in counselor education from East Carolina University.
Proctor chose App State because “the High Country has always held a special place in my heart. The people, the crisp mountain air, the picturesque landscapes, the energy of King Street and the Rock — there’s nothing like it!”
Proctor currently serves as a dean at a community college in Southeastern North Carolina. She plans to pursue opportunities to continue researching and writing about issues facing public education and educational leadership.
Dr. Kacie Renfro ’12 ’24
Dr. Kacie Renfro received the Excellence in Research Methodology Award for her dissertation, The Poetics of Affect: Rememorying the Death of a School. Her committee was chaired by Dr. Alecia Jackson and included Dr. Beth Campbell and Dr. Leslie McKesson.
“This award is a testament to the love and support I have received throughout my educational journey,” said Renfro.
“Writing about Bee Log Elementary School was a labor of love, and this type of recognition means even more in the wake of Hurricane Helene because many of the spaces on the side of the road that were integral to my work are now gone,” she added. “Rememory work, however, allows them to live on forever, and to be recognized for this methodology is such an honor.”
From Burnsville, North Carolina, Renfro received her Bachelor of Science in English education from App State.
“My grandfather's top priority in life was to see all of his children and grandchildren graduate from college,” recounted Renfro. “I decided to pursue a graduate degree because it was a way to honor his legacy.”
App State's doctoral program offered flexibility and individualized support were key for Renfro.
“I had an amazing undergraduate experience at App State, and Boone has always felt like home to me,” she added. “The faculty at Appalachian State are top tier, and the relationships I have built there over the years are some of the most important in my life.”
Renfro is currently a school counselor at Enka Intermediate School in Buncombe County North Carolina.
“I hope to continue writing about affect theory and the importance of rememorying,” she noted.
Award recipients
