Guest Contributor: Emma McClure
A few short weeks before Thanksgiving break of 2020, AP World History teacher Julianne
Garner prepared for a very important zoom meeting, her doctoral defense. She has now taken on the official title of Dr. Garner.
Dr. Garner, an American historian, has described her studies as a “labor of love,” having
spent 25 years in school, most recently at Auburn University.
While it might not be for everyone, she says earning her doctorate was “a natural fit” for her love of history.
Despite the pandemic, Dr. Garner actually says that the most difficult part of
earning her doctorate was learning how to write, describing the difficulty of writing a “technical, original piece of research,” referring, or course, to her dissertation. Dr. Garner certainly overcame the difficulty, as she received an award from Auburn University for her research.
Dr. Garner believes that the quarantine was actually beneficial for her research, providing
her time to work on her dissertation. Because her research was mostly done online, the pandemic closures did not impact her ability to find sources for her dissertation.
Not many people go the extra mile to earn their PhD, but Columbus High students
have a role model who found her passion and went all the way. During the quarantine, Dr.
Garner has said that some people “really find the motivation,” and Dr. Garner certainly did.