From Ghana to Southern California: Lydia Martin’s Global Adventure
At the height of her career in Ghana, Lydia Martin stepped away from comfort to begin a new journey as a Doctor of Education student at Westcliff University. After more than 25 years in education, she had risen to leadership roles that many professionals would only dream of. Instead of slowing down, Martin felt a pull toward something greater, an international path that would challenge her in new and exciting ways.
Her decision to pursue a doctorate was a chance to widen her global perspective, gain exposure to diverse approaches in education, and prepare herself to make a deeper impact back home. The transition was not simply about leaving a long career behind but about carrying that experience into a new environment where it could grow even further.
“All my life, I’ve been schooled in my home country,” said Martin. “I wanted something new, something international, so that the knowledge I gain I can go back to my home country and improve our systems.”
That drive for growth is what ultimately led Martin to Westcliff. The promise of new cultures and new ways of learning inspired her to take the leap and begin her new journey in Southern California.
Why Westcliff and Her Student Experience
Martin’s search spanned countless programs across the United States, but Westcliff’s international focus and hybrid model felt like the door she had been waiting to open. Unlike other universities that separated curriculum and instruction into narrow tracks, Westcliff wove them together in a program that offered the depth she was looking for.
“After reading intensely about Westcliff, I said, wow, this is my school,” expressed Martin. “Westcliff is so invested in technology, and that makes life very easy no matter who you are. The systems they have are simple to navigate for any student.”
That confidence carried into the admissions process, which Martin recalls as seamless from start to finish. From her first moments as a Westcliff student, she discovered how the university’s design supported learners at every stage. The Global Academic Portal made resources easy to access, while the one-course-per-session model created space to focus deeply without overwhelming schedules. Professors like Jennifer Money Harris, Ph.D., stood out for their unapologetic guidance.
“Regardless of your race, your age, Westcliff makes life easier for anyone,” Martin said. “You don’t struggle while you’re here. You engage with seasoned lecturers and Westcliff has really enabled me to only think of moving up.”
With her footing as a new student established, Martin often reflects on the path that brought her here, a long career in education back home in Ghana and the bold decision to trade familiarity for growth.
Trading Comfort for Growth
For more than two decades, Martin dedicated her life to improving education in her home country of Ghana. She rose through the ranks to become a deputy director and later assistant principal, guiding thousands of students and hundreds of teachers each day. “With 25 years of experience as a deputy director, I could have stopped there, but I knew there was more room for growth,” Martin said. “When education consultants came to speak with my students about opportunities in the United States, I told them the chance was not only for the young ones. The opportunity is for all.”
That possibility became a spark. The more she thought about it, the more she saw education as a global language, one that demanded fluency in perspectives beyond her own. Leaving Ghana was not an escape from her career but an extension of it, a way to add new colors to what she had spent decades painting.
A Masterclass in New Beginnings
Martin’s choice carried risk, but it also carried the thrill of possibility.
Looking ahead, Martin sees her doctorate as more than a personal milestone. She envisions herself as a mentor and coach in education, using her research and experience as a catalyst to shape the next generation of learners in Ghana. “I am going to effect change in education, and a big part of that will be thanks to Westcliff University,” she said.
Her journey is also a message to others who may be hesitant to take that first step, especially those back home in Ghana. “Conquer your fears. Take a bold step and make the application, whichever one that may be,” she urged. “The opportunity is there for all.”
In choosing adventure, Martin found purpose. Her story reminds us that the decision to begin again can be the moment when a new chapter truly starts — and at Westcliff, that chapter is always waiting to be written.