In honor of Mother’s Day, Write Your Dissertation, Sis is celebrating the brilliance of Black mother scholars in our January and July cohorts. In this feature, they share reflections and advice for other Black moms navigating caregiving while completing their dissertations—offering wisdom rooted in experience, love, and legacy.

At Write Your Dissertation, Sis, we believe that Black women scholars deserve more than just dissertation support—they deserve space to feel seen, affirmed, and held in community. Dr. Venus Watson, who recently earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research from The University of Alabama, exemplifies what it means to lead with both scholarly excellence and deep care.

Her dissertation centers the lived experiences of Black mother scholars navigating doctoral programs at predominantly white institutions. Through her original BlackMotherScholar Methodology, she positions storytelling as a powerful, culturally grounded form of resistance, healing, and truth-telling. Her work challenges the idea that motherhood and scholarship must be in tension—and instead shows how they can coexist with power and purpose.

With the support of Write Your Dissertation, Sis, Dr. Venus found not only structure and clarity, but also a community where she could be vulnerable and fully herself. Her journey reminds us—especially the mothers in our cohort—that Black women don’t have to choose between academic success and wellness. She is paving the way for future generations of Black mother scholars to feel seen, supported, and empowered.

Read Dr. Venus’s full story here.

At Write Your Dissertation, Sis, we believe that Black women scholars deserve more than just dissertation support—they deserve a model of academic success that prioritizes both productivity and well-being. Destiny Williams-Dobosz, a Ph.D. candidate in Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, embodies this balance.

Her research explores how psychological and contextual factors shape student learning and success, with a focus on the academic help-seeking experiences of Black women who are first-generation college students in STEM. But beyond her research, Destiny’s journey reflects a powerful transformation—one where she let go of time scarcity mindsets, embraced wellness, and walked into her dissertation defense with confidence.

"With the help of this program, I’ve really come to understand that the work will get done and it’ll be even better because I’m better. This program, alongside my research, has shown that I’m just as important as the work. I take my mental, physical, and emotional wellness more seriously."

Through Write Your Dissertation, Sis, Destiny gained the structure, community, and accountability needed to finish strong—without burnout. Now, as she prepares to defend her dissertation, she does so with clarity, confidence, and the knowledge that her work is making an impact.

Read Destiny’s full story here.

Your dissertation is just one chapter of your story—you are more than your research project.

Too many Black women PhDs are doing groundbreaking work but struggling to showcase their expertise on the job market. We’re taught to focus on the research, the writing, the defense—but what happens after that? How do you position yourself in ways that open doors to opportunities in and beyond academia?

Branding yourself as a scholar means confidently articulating your impact. Whether you are pursuing faculty positions, industry roles, or a mix of both, you need to be able to communicate why your work matters, how your PhD experience has prepared you, and the value you bring.

In my latest blog post, I’m sharing five strategies to help you showcase your PhD skills and build a strong scholar brand that positions you for career success. Read the full post and join my upcoming free workshop, From Dissertation to Impact, where I’ll teach you how to build your scholar brand and position yourself for the next step in your career.