Finally, after several weeks, I overcame my skepticism and called the Regent University telephone number that had appeared on the television screen. A friendly voice greeted me. However, before I would allow this affable gentleman to continue any further. I wanted him to immediately know that I was a Roman Catholic. Needless to say, I was most surprised when he told me that he was too! He convinced me that there was a very ecumenical atmosphere at Regent University.

So in April of 1996, I decided to attent Preview Weekend at Regent University. The doctoral program in organizational leadership was being initiated, and it truly intrigued me,especially since it was a computer-mediated, long distance program. I met some wonderful people who truly seemed to care about me. What impressed me most was everyone's emphasis on allowing the Holy Spirit to help me discern as to whether or not I should apply for this program.

After that weekend of prayer, reflection, and discerning, I decided to apply right away. Within less than a week, I had filled out the application, taken the Miller Analogies adn gathered all the necessary information and documentation. That alone was mirarculous! This began an inspiriational journey, which affected my heart, mind, and sould in a profound manner. My three years of study in the doctoral program in organizational leadership at Regent University proved to be the most challenging, exhilarating, and inspirational of my life. It was a very intense time in which my entire life was devoted to diligently pursuing God's truth through my studies. The wonderful aspect of this program is the fact that all of my professors and my fellow learners in Cohort I were deeply committed to the Lord. Also, being a member of Corhort I was a pioneering adventure! After all, we were members of the first cohort of learners to experience a computer-mediated doctoral program in organizational leadership anywhere in the world.

What an awesome privilege to be chosen by the Lord to embark on a new, computer-mediated adventure involving the prayerful sharing of charitable fraternity, ecumenical dialogue, scriptural integration, and inspiring leadership-all bassed upon the principles of Christian discipleship! Justas all Christians have been commissioned to spread Good News to all corners of the earth, we were indeed using the miraculous power of the World Wild Web to spread the Gospel literally throughout the entire planet. What mission could be more exciting than this one? In the process of trying to discern a topic that was the quintessential quality contributing to the development of Servant Christian Leadership, I reflected upon the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude), which have been so beautifully explicated by the most esteemed, yet humble philospher and theologian, St Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church. The practice of the cardinal virtues, which ultimately lead us to our heavenly Father. Therefore, after much prayer and meditation between November of 1998 and January of 1999, I decided upon a definitive topic adn title for my dissertation: 'Catholic Witness: Educating for Virtue.'   

I was truly blessed to have the opportunity to work with seventh and eighth grade faculty members at St. Patrick's Word of God School in Providence, Rhode Island. While developing the premise for my dissertation, I was also privileged to develop a curriculum guide for teaching virtue while implementing a series of lessons as an integrative part of the students' program in religious studies, literature, and history. Perhaps the greatest ecumenical experience that touched me most deeply at Regent occurred during my graduation ceremony, May 2000 on the campus. Our commencement speaker was the prominent Catholic convert, author,philospher and priest, Father Richard John Neuhaus. The mere fact that a priest would be the main speaker at my graduation truly reaffirmed that I was most assuredly drawn to this university through divine intervention.