Terri Steffes, Ed.D. (GRAD ED ’13): A Lifelong Learner and Leader in Education
Terri Steffes, Ed.D. (GRAD ED ’13), was a school principal in Jefferson City, Missouri, when she began searching for a well-respected leadership doctorate program with the academic rigor of a prestigious private university, she said. Steffes chose Saint Louis University for its renowned educational leadership program, a memory she recently shared through the University’s Oral History Project.
“I had amazing and well-respected instructors, who were true movers and shakers in education, many of whom I was already familiar with through their published works,” Steffes said. “The program was extremely rigorous, with a strong focus on improving public education. The coursework, even the theoretical classes, emphasized practical application to our jobs that I could apply immediately as a principal.”
Designed for working professionals, SLU’s educational leadership program accommodates students’ full-time workloads with weekend classes, an eight-week intensive summer course, and hybrid and online options. Students can choose from seven graduate degrees.
For Steffes, the depth of knowledge and the authority she gained at SLU were invaluable, she said.
Earning her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership in 2013 empowered Steffes to make meaningful contributions to the field by guiding teachers with school finance or drawing on her dissertation research, she said. That foundation also continued to serve her well after her retirement, including in her consulting work.
Steffes’ career included serving as an adjunct professor and a teacher development specialist. Now retired, she and her husband prepare content for their company, Our Good Life, LLC, promoting inspired living through their adventures, as well as healthy eating, travel, books and more.
“Looking back, I'm grateful for the incredible professors and the quality of the program that SLU provided,” she said.