The idea of coaching wrestling for a living opened the door to a career in education for Eric Dobey. Since then, the Marlow, Oklahoma, native has pinned down quite a leadership niche.
“I wanted to be a medical doctor, so I was in the pre-med route and got my biology degree,” Dobey said. “Being a doctor wasn’t in the cards for me. I enjoy being around kids and wrestling. I graduated and went into teaching and coaching. I never looked back, and I never regretted the decision.”
He also never stopped learning.
Dobey will complete the Lamar University online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program in 2018. He also graduated with a Master of Education in Administration and Program Certificate in Principal Education in 2012 and a Program Certificate in Superintendent Education in 2017 — all from Lamar University’s online education programs.
“When I first got into education, I just happened to be a lifelong learner,” Dobey said. “I always told myself, ‘I’m going to coach and teach the rest of my life — that’s easy.’ I found that I needed more.”
Dobey, an assistant principal at Deer Creek Elementary School in Crowley, Texas, took advantage of the opportunities that came along with the M.Ed. in Administration. He worked as an assistant principal in Odessa, Texas, and hopes to continue his career ascension into different roles to grapple with new challenges.
“I’d like to be a superintendent or an athletic director,” said Dobey, the first person in his immediate family to earn a college degree. “At some point with my doctorate, I would like to teach others how to be a principal or a superintendent.”
Back on the Mat
Dobey, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in 2007, was teaching and coaching in Weatherford, Texas, when he decided to pursue a master’s degree and principal certification.
“My wife [Rachelle] was very supportive,” he said. “Once I told her I was thinking about it, she told me I had to go back — no ifs, ands or buts about it. She said I had to do it. When the wife says something, you have to do it sometimes.”
He heard about the Lamar University online program through a coworker who was enrolled in a master’s program at the school.
“She told me what she liked about the program, and I started doing more research,” Dobey said. “I said, ‘I’m going to go down that road.’ I started working on it and chose Lamar. Since I had been there, I wanted to stay with Lamar because it has been such a pleasant experience.”
The flexibility of the online format is essential for Dobey. In addition to fulfilling the responsibilities of his full-time job, he officiates wrestling and has two children — Taylor (14) and Colton (3). During baseball season, Dobey also has to squeeze in time to cheer on his favorite team, the Texas Rangers. He made all of it work, all the way through the doctoral program.
“When I got to Crowley, I thought, ‘Okay. Now, I ‘m an assistant principal. What more can I do to continue to learn and do different things. You know what? I’m going to go get my doctorate,’” he said. “I enjoyed my time at Lamar so much with the online piece that I wondered if they had an online doctorate. They did, so I said, ‘Let’s give it a try.’ I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s been very easy to work full-time, be a dad full time, be a husband full time and still get my schoolwork done.”
Escaping Apprehension
When Dobey initially enrolled in a fully online master’s degree program, he was a bit apprehensive after taking a couple of undergraduate courses online.
“I wasn’t a big fan of it, so I was kind of scared as I got into doing it until I did my first class,” he said. “It was beneficial to me to do one class at a time. Since I didn’t have to worry about three or four classes at a time, I could focus on one class. That was one thing I really liked about the program compared to when I had done online before.”
EDLD 5344: School Law was one of Dobey’s favorite courses in the online master’s program, although he found the entire curriculum beneficial and applicable.
“I felt like they constantly kept us in front of things, so I don’t know that I could pick one or two classes that I liked,” he said. “The school law course was great because it included everything that you battle and one thing that can get you in trouble the most. You have to know the law.
“Anything that dealt with curriculum and instruction was nice because it helped me grow as a teacher. Now, I can help teachers continue to form their craft and make them better. I could take what I learned and put it into the position I was in right away, and then move over to the other parts.”
Bridge to Success
Although Dobey did not attend the graduation ceremony for his M.E. in Administration, he plans to make the trip to Beaumont to walk the stage to celebrate his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. He hopes his children, Taylor in particular, will develop his same passion for learning.
“She sees where I am and sees what I’m going through,” he said. “She asks me all of the time, ‘Why do you keep going back to school?’ I keep telling her, ‘This is how I continue to grow and how I continue to learn. I keep going to school.’ I think now she’s wanting to look farther and do different things.”
Dobey has already seen higher education pay off in his career. He believes all of the Lamar University programs he has taken could benefit an educator ready to transition into administration.
“When I finished my master’s, it got me in a few doors,” he said. “I felt prepared for the interviews and could apply the skills I learned into jobs pretty quickly. Even though it seems kind of scary to do a semester class in eight weeks, the pace and the way they set the class up makes it very easy to learn in the time. Don’t be scared of that piece at all.”
No half nelsons required.
Learn more about the Lamar University online M.Ed. in Administration program.
