Dr. Kia Tate

Degree: EdD, Leadership and Policy Studies ('01)
Current Title: Educational Leader and Executive Coach

What year did you graduate and what degree(s) did you earn?

I graduated from the University of Memphis (UofM) May 2001 with a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Policy Studies. Simultaneously I earned a second Masters of Education in School Administration and Supervision not long after my Masters of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of TN, Knoxville . Earning the degrees from UofM  was one of the most meaningful milestones of my life both professionally and personally. I was only 26 years old, and the degrees represented years of sacrifice, late nights, and a deep commitment to becoming the kind of leader and educator I knew I was called to be. The work I did toward my degrees was the foundation for what has now become a 30-year career in the profession of education. 

 

Why did you choose the University of Memphis for your studies?

I actually began my doctoral studies at the University of Mississippi, but after a semester, I felt a pull I couldn't ignore. I wanted to pursue this work at an institution rooted in my community. I wanted one that truly understood the landscape of urban education and the real challenges facing students and leaders in cities like my hometown, Memphis. The University of Memphis offered rigorous academics alongside a genuine investment in local impact, and that alignment mattered deeply to me. I wasn't simply pursuing a degree. I was preparing to go back home and make a difference, and UofM felt like exactly the right place to do that. 

 

What is a favorite or meaningful memory from your time at UofM?

I have many fond memories of my time at UofM, but if pressed to name one, it would have to be my days at PADEC. Honestly, I couldn't tell you today what the acronym stands for but I can tell you it shaped me profoundly. I had the privilege of completing my graduate assistantship in the PADEC office, and through that work, I was consistently in the presence of some of the most brilliant school leaders in Memphis City Schools.

At the time, the district partnered closely with UofM to develop leaders who were ready to make the transition from assistant principal to principal. These leaders would spend consecutive days working through rigorous modules designed to assess both their skill and their will for leadership. Those who needed additional development weren't turned away. They were given a roadmap and invited to return. It was one of the most thoughtful leadership pipelines I had ever witnessed.

Through PADEC, I gained something my coursework alone could never have given me. I gained practical wisdom, poured into me by seasoned principals who took the time to invest in a young graduate student. Those were some of my most treasured days at UofM, and the experience quietly set the tone for the leader and coach I would eventually become.

 

How did your experience at the University of Memphis help prepare or shape you for your career?

My time at UofM sharpened me in ways I couldn't have anticipated. The doctoral process pushes you to think critically, challenge assumptions, and develop a scholarly lens without losing your humanity. That balance has been central to everything I've done since. Whether I'm crafting strategy alongside a district leader, coaching an executive, facilitating a team-building retreat, or sitting across from someone contemplating their next academic chapter, I draw on the discipline, the research foundation, and the intellectual courage that my graduate experience cultivated. UofM didn't just give me a degree. It gave me a framework for how to think and lead with both evidence and empathy.

I can still remember walking through those halls with a heart full of gratitude, fully aware that the education I was receiving would shape everything that came after. That sense of thankfulness has never left me. I am, and will always be, grateful to God for the opportunity to have called the University of Memphis home.

 

What advice would you give current College of Education students?

First and foremost, stay connected to your why. The work of education is not for the faint of heart. There will be seasons when the bureaucracy, the burnout, or the sheer weight of the need around you will tempt you to disconnect from the reason you started. Don't let that happen. Write your why down. Come back to it. Let it anchor you.

Second, invest in your own leadership development as intentionally as you invest in your students or your research. The most effective educators I know are lifelong learners who take their personal and professional growth seriously. Get a mentor. Find a coach. Build your network before you need it. I learned this one the hard way. I spent so many seasons pouring into the people I was leading that I neglected to pour into myself. I've since learned that personal growth isn't a luxury for a leader; it's a responsibility. When I develop and grow, everyone around me develops and grows.

And finally, know who you are. Never underestimate the power of your story. Where you've been, what you've overcome, and what you carry into every room you enter are your superpowers. There is only one you, and only you can walk in your divine purpose. Your story is not incidental to your work. It is your greatest asset and an essential part of that purpose. Lean into it. Your students and the educators around you will be better because of it.