With a bachelor’s degree, MBA and a storied career in software and management, Sacramento student David Inniss didn’t need another degree.
But as a hard worker with a belief in lifelong learning, Inniss still wanted to go back to school—this time, for reasons purely personal.
“I consider myself a constant student of leadership,” said Inniss, who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the United States Military Academy and an MBA from California State University, Sacramento. “I like to learn more and more about my industries, but I also wanted to be in a program where there’s freedom left and right to spend time gaining knowledge just for [the sake of] learning.”
After surveying 18 schools in the Sacramento region, Inniss chose Drexel Sacramento’s Ed.D. in educational leadership management program. He’s been in the program since the spring of 2010, and said he’s more than confident he made the right decision.
“I had a lot of criteria when looking at schools, but what stuck out about Drexel was that I wanted a quality school in terms of reputation and brand name,” Inniss said. “I knew Drexel had a local campus here in Sacramento, and it made sense to be able to get that Drexel brand and still be able to be at home with my two sons.”
Flexibility in schedule was important to Inniss who, aside from his responsibilities as a father and husband, also works as the senior director of product marketing at IntelliBatt, a full-service solutions provider of battery backup. He’s also currently finishing his dissertation (a study of the complexities of how fatherless men father boys) and is serving as president of the Sacramento Graduate Student Association.
“I believe in going to school not to just go to school,” Innis said. “At the end of the day, I want to say that I lived the Drexel experience—I didn’t just go to Drexel. That means getting involved in the direction that your school is going, being involved in a student body that is engaged with your school even when they get out into the work force. I wanted to contribute to the social environment, the community engagement environment that will allow students to continue to speak highly of Drexel after I leave.”
Although Inniss said he wanted to pursue his Ed.D. as a personal goal, he said he’s been able to apply knowledge about what makes a good and effective leader in all aspects of his life, including his career.
“There’s this idea that certain positions are taken by an entire organization,” Inniss said. “But with the notion of leadership, one way to change that is to be able to stop, refresh, suspend your own judgment before making a final judgment. It’s difficult to do because we come into organizations that are already a certain way, but my education at Drexel has taught me to stop and reflect. The ability to pause, see where other people’s points of views are, has helped make me a better leader in life, and career-wise, it’s been a game changer.”