1. Tell us about yourself: My name is Dr. Frances Kapp and I have earned 3 degrees in education. My first degree is a B.Ed. degree that I graduated with in 1961 from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. My second and third degrees were earned at Gonzaga University. They are an MA degree in Administration and Curriculum which I graduated with in 1989, and a Gonzaga Ph.D. in Educational Leadership which I graduated with in 2000. I also received the School of Education award in leadership in 2000.
  2. What are you doing now?: My current role is in writing. I co-authored a book with Dr. Kieran O’Malley called Watch for the Rainbows, True Stories of Educators and Other Caregivers of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, which was based upon research from my doctoral studies at Gonzaga. My career for many wonderful years was in teaching, and I am a retired elementary science teacher and researcher.
  3. Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? I chose the MA program at the School of Education at Gonzaga because I wanted to open the door to opportunities to expand my career in education. Some possible areas of interest for myself included curriculum, research, and administration. I also had colleagues who had taken Gonzaga educational programs and they spoke very highly of Gonzaga University and the educational programs and courses offered. I chose the Ph.D. program at Gonzaga University because I had enjoyed the Gonzaga MA program tremendously and also because I wanted to further my university training and education.
  4. What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? I was influenced by and am grateful to many wonderful educators at Gonzaga University. I was greatly influenced by Father Patrick Ford who strongly encouraged me to continue on with my educational studies after completing my MA. Father Ford was the dean of the Graduate School and later the academic vice president during my years at Gonzaga. He was a very kind man, very spiritual, a superb speaker, and really interested in the success of the students that he worked with. He was inspiring and instilled people to help others.
  5. What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? My greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga was to take time to enjoy your studies, work hard, and pass that knowledge and training on to the students that you work with.
  6. What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of working in my field was in being able to help students learn successfully. I took pride in observing students smile and succeed in their efforts.
  7. What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? A critical issue in education today is funding as this is necessary for successful programming.
  8. What advice do you have for future education professionals? My advice for future education professionals is to put your heart with your work and enjoy what you are doing. Education is a very important field to be in and offers many rewarding career possibilities.