Hi, I’m Jennifer Vollbrecht. I am going to start posting short articles to practice my writing skills during my Doctoral Program. My goal is to write 500+ words per day and work myself up to 1000+ per day. The expectation is that when it’s time to write my dissertation, I’ll already be in the habit of writing every day. I’m going to post many topics, from leadership, motherhood, nutrition, exercise…pretty much anything I can think of to work on this skill.

About me: I grew up in Manteca, CA and joined the Marine Corps in 2004. I served as a CH-46E Helicopter Crew Chief from 2004-2009. I have been married going on 15 years, and we have two wonderful children, Natalie and Bradley. I have had a successful career after the Marines in the Defense and Energy industry as a Project Manager, and last year went out on my own as a consultant. My career has been so rewarding and I feel that it is just getting started. One of the reasons I am going through the Doctorate program is to build my credibility as an entrepreneur, gain clients and to contribute to the profession of Project Management through publishing papers and performing studies in the field.

A few other fun facts:

  • I love to work out and exercise, it is part of my mental health strategy
  • Reading is my favorite pastime, I read dozens of books every year and will post book reviews
  • Feminism: A Journey to Equality is a workbook that my sister and I published last year and is full of exercises to develop a self-discover and self-love practice
  • I am also a Master Herbalist, and was certified in 2019 and sell herbal tea under my own label
  • Giving back to the veteran community is another passion of mine, you will find me volunteering at many veteran-related events, taking my kids along with me and I also serve on the board of FIX’D, which is a non-profit that works exclusively with veterans in the justice system
  • Ska music is my jam
  • I love to write lists

I hope to develop a skill for writing on single, focused topics that are well researched and well organized. This discipline should enhance my writing skills and help me to settle on a dissertation topic, and my process for writing it, two years from now. I think there are many other benefits to a regular journaling practice. I have kept a journal for as long as I can remember, and I keep a hand-written journal to this day. This will be my first attempt at digital journaling, I am choosing this platform to work on the skill of transferring my thoughts through the keyboard instead of through a pen or pencil.

Writing is also a passion for me. I do a lot of technical writing now in my profession, but I used to write poetry, song lyrics and short stories. If I feel inspired, I may experiment with some creative writing endeavors as well. So, that is a brief summary about what to expect in this series of articles. I am excited to see where it takes me, and I will be documenting my journey towards dissertation completion and beyond.