“You’re going to have “doctor” in front of your name, damn it.”
Jill Russell, Ph.D., ‘96 was an adult student finishing her biology degree when Dr. Beth Murray ‘86, current biology professor, could not contain her enthusiasm any longer.
“Jill did everything that was expected of her and more. She was a good student, but wanted to master it,” Beth reflects. “Jill was looking to achieve in college and I wanted that for her.”
Jill could be the poster child for the adult student. She graduated from high school in Chicago, Ill., and chose to submerse herself in life rather than pursue a degree.
“I wanted to sow my wild oats. I did not want to go to college. I wanted to see the world.” And see the world she did.
Over the next decade, Jill married, divorced and traveled across the U.S., living on the coast in North Carolina, the lush northern woods of Wisconsin and in the desert of southern Arizona. She spent her twenties exploring nature, looking for her purpose in life and hanging out with very colorful characters.
“I’ve always been attracted to people who think outside the box, and I have an insatiable thirst for adventure,” Jill adds. After marrying again and becoming a mother to two children, she decided to settle down. “That last marriage was so dysfunctional, it almost killed me. There’s a reason my theme song is ‘I will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor.”
When her marriage ended, she was at a crossroads. She had to either go to school and provide for her children or continue to tread water, barely keeping her head above.
She moved in with her parents in Indiana and searched for the nearest college to their home. What she found was a school with daytime classes, a child care center, a nurturing environment, and a nursing program – the perfect combination for a single mom.
What she found was the College of Mount St. Joseph.
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| Jill receives her undergraduate degree from former president Sister Francis Marie Thrailkill. |
So Jill, mother of Katlyn and Dylan, began as a full-time, adult nursing student in 1992. She viewed her education as a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. She’d drop her kids off at day care, get to campus, and work hard to accomplish as much as possible. Then, at 5 p.m., she would close her textbook and pick up her kids to begin the family’s evening routines – dinner, play, baths, reading, and bedtime. Once Katlyn and Dylan were asleep, Jill would resume her studies.
In 1996, following a transfer to the Biology Department and four years of hard work as a mother and student, Jill graduated
with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
All the while, Dr. Murray was watching her evolve as a scientist.
Jill went on to Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, as a graduate student in cardiac physiology. After earning her master’s degree and meeting her husband, Jill continued on to the doctoral program. Because of her unending drive to succeed, Jill became Dr. Jill Russell in 2004 with a doctorate in neuroendocrinology.
One year ago, the Mount found Jill. She received a call about an open biology professor position. Jill was quite happy teaching at Miami University with her husband, but she is not one to close the door on opportunity.
She agreed to the interview but had no intentions of considering the position. The minute she stepped foot on campus, the nurturing family feeling from her days as an adult student returned and it felt like home.
Uncharacteristic of an academic interview, she was greeted with hugs - the warmest coming from Dr. Murray.
Jill reminded Dr. Murray, “You know, you said I’d be a doctor someday.”
Welcome home, Dr. Russell. Welcome home.