Eileen Palma
Completing my PhD has been my biggest success since graduating from Norwich. I could not have achieved this goal without the knowledge and skills I gained by completing a master’s in military history.
Q: “Tell us about yourself.”
A: “I am an Army Brat, retired Air Force spouse, and veteran of the Army Reserve. I currently live in Washington, DC, with my husband, and together we have three kids who are all adults now. Up until recently, in my spare time, I was mostly working on my PhD in history - which I am happy to report I completed in September 2024!
I have supported service members and their families as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for my entire professional career. Currently, I work for the Department of Defense, Military Community & Family Policy, overseeing contracts that provide counseling support to service and family members worldwide.”
Q: What was your motivation for pursuing your degree?”
A: “While I am passionate about my career as an LCSW, I wanted to expand my professional scope to include my other passion for military history. I planned to use my degree to aid in my goal of obtaining a PhD in History. One month after graduating from Norwich, I started a PhD program with the University of Leeds. I accomplished this goal when I successfully defended my dissertation in September 2024. I will continue working for DoD in my current job; however, now that I have completed my PhD, I would like to publish a book based on my dissertation. I hope to continue to publish different works on history in the future.”
Q: “Why did you choose Norwich?”
A: “I chose Norwich because they support students like me who have full-time jobs. The program was flexible enough that I could work around my job and personal schedule, which was my #1 requirement when looking for a program. Furthermore, Norwich was recommended by the Society for Military History as an online military history master’s program. Norwich also accepts the GI Bill, and they made it very easy to use! Starting with my first conversation with an admissions advisor, I felt supported, which gave me more confidence to complete this program.”
Q: “Did you have any uncertainties with choosing an online program?”
A: “I did not have uncertainties about pursuing an online program, since online programs were already a common mode of completing a degree when I started my masters. I expected that an online degree would be just as challenging as an in-person program, and I was correct in this assumption.”
Q: “What has been your biggest personal or professional success since completing your degree?”
A: “Hands down, completing my PhD has been my biggest personal and professional success since graduating from Norwich. I could not have achieved this goal without the knowledge and skills I gained by completing a master’s in military history. While at Norwich, I chose to complete the thesis track, via the capstone. In essence, I wrote a “mini dissertation” and also defended my thesis. This experience (without question!) helped me succeed in writing and defending my 320-page PhD dissertation.”
Q: “What is one piece of advice you would give to future students enrolling into one of Norwich's online programs?”
A: “Go for it and don’t let age stop you! Plus, if you do enroll in an online program, make a plan by designating time out of your busy week to focus on your studies.”
