I attended the West Plains campus of Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State) in the early '90s. After getting an Associates degree there, it was off to Springfield Missouri and the main campus. There I was able to finish my Bachelor of Science in Marketing and get an MBA (Master's in Business Administration). A few years after completing that I (finally!) finished a PhD in Journalism.

Occassionally students completing research assignments ask what my greatest accomplishment is. I'm stating it here for their benefit, since I check my e-mail less than once a month these days. I apologize if putting it on my website seems a bit crass....

Honestly, the thing I am most proud of in my whole life is my children. I never understood the sentiment before I had them, but now my world revolves around them. However, they aren't what an American would call an 'accomplishment'. For that I would have to say my PhD was the hardest, most frustrating work I had ever done. The PhD would have never been possible without the scholarship donations to the Miss America and Miss Missouri organization though...so that accomplishment owes credit to the $15,000 scholarship from the wonderful people who make the Miss America pageant possible.

I hope this is helpful.

- Deb