Which Masters programme did you study?
I studied Educational Leadership and Change.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Molly DiLalla and I am originally from Orange County, California. I grew up playing water polo. It has given me the opportunities to travel to, and live and study in, great places such as Durham. After completing my studies at Durham this past year, I am now working and living in London.
What did you study previously?
I majored in Psychology and minored in Education for my undergraduate studies at the University of Hawai’i-Manoa.
Why did you decide to study this course at this university?
I decided to study Educational Leadership and Change because the impact of educational leaders within an organisation is profound. As a leader in education, my influence can be felt from within the classroom, where teachers and students interact every day, to the boardrooms where tomorrow’s leaders make important decisions, and everywhere in between. I decided to study this particular course at Durham University because of its excellent academic reputation and the ability to continue playing water polo.
What are you enjoying most about the course?
I love the diversity and multi-cultural educational aspects of this course. The course itself encompasses a variety of modules that really give a holistic approach to education and what it means to be a positive agent of change. I believe the information learned can be applied across various disciplines and is even applicable to aspects within my personal life.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? How will this course help your career prospects?
In five years’ time, I would like to be within the field of education doing administration or management. I would love to apply myself to diversity and inclusion efforts or work on initiatives to decolonise curriculum. This course will help my career prospects as I have gained the knowledge and expertise to evoke change and to conduct research on how to effectively evaluate and implement programs within educational organisations.
Are you part of any extra-curricular clubs at the university?
I was part of Team Durham’s Women’s Water Polo team where we won the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National Championship!
Have you any advice for prospective students thinking about doing this course?
I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in evoking positive, sustainable change within the field of education. I have learned so much from the professors and from my peers, who all hailed from different countries. The knowledge learnt in this course is super impactful and can be applied across various fields! Additionally, Durham is a top-tier university and I had the best year of my life there!
What was your favourite subject to study?
Leading Change in Educational Organisations. I loved learning about the different ways to become an effective leader and the various models that can be employed within the process of programme implementation and evaluation.
Discover more
Find out more about the MA Educational Leadership and Change at Durham University here.
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