For nearly two decades, Alyssa Keel, Ph.D., carried a dream she wasn’t sure she’d ever realize: completing her doctoral degree. Between a full-time job and motherhood, she knew it wouldn’t come easily.
Dr. Keel has been on the front lines of mental health for the past 20 years — first as a child and youth counsellor and social worker, then working her way up through a variety of roles, always committed to improving systems that serve children and families.
“I was interested in doing child and youth mental health in particular because I feel very passionate about providing mental health services as soon as we can,” Dr. Keel said.
Her journey reflects the kind of leadership Adler University cultivates — purpose-driven, community-minded, and grounded in action. Through its Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership program, Adler equips professionals like Dr. Keel to strengthen systems, empower teams, and advance mental health and well-being across sectors.
Today, Dr. Keel serves as a manager at the Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, with her sights set on becoming a director — a step she sees not just as a personal milestone, but as an opportunity to create a broader, systemic impact.
“The program really spoke about what I was missing in terms of leadership skills,” Dr. Keel said. “I already had the clinical skills of being a social worker, but I wanted people to take me seriously as a professional and a leader. This felt like the right steppingstone.”
On Nov. 2, Dr. Keel is walking over that stepping stone towards the stage of the Chicago Theatre. She’ll be one of about 300 graduates celebrating their years-long achievements during Adler’s commencement ceremony in Chicago.
“My biggest success was completing this degree,” Dr. Keel said. “I had thought about getting my Ph.D. since I finished my master’s degree almost 20 years ago. Now being in my 40s and getting the energy to go back to school was a big deal.”
Finding purpose in leadership
Dr. Keel said that after years of working on the front lines of mental health, she realized leadership in the public sector required not just compassion, but also business and organizational acumen.
“Speaking with other folks in the field, I wanted to be able to talk about the business side of the work we do as leaders,” she said. “Especially since the pandemic, we’ve really lost a lot of good public service workers. People have been so burnt out. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to keep our teams healthy — it felt like the right time to pursue a higher degree.”
That sense of responsibility became a driving force behind her studies. Balancing full-time work, motherhood, and doctoral research wasn’t easy, but Adler’s online program allowed Dr. Keel to make her long-time goal possible.
“Being able to pace myself through the program was essential,” she said. “Without that flexibility, I probably wouldn’t have been able to go back to school.”
While Dr. Keel has lots of experience working in her field, she felt like there was something fundamentally missing from her professional career.
Dr. Keel noted that “followership” is just one thing she learned at Adler that she didn’t have the language to communicate beforehand. Global leadership was also a course Dr. Keel pointed out that made her time at Adler very valuable.
“That course really made me think about our sector and where we’re headed. How do we make sure that we’re all still connected when we’re working mostly virtually?” Dr. Keel shared.
Building community through the process
For Dr. Keel, the journey to obtaining a degree from home could feel isolating at times.
“It can be lonely if you don’t create a good group of support for yourself,” she said. “What really got me through was having friends who were also completing the program. We were able to support each other and check in with each other and be leaders for each other through the tough moments.”
That sense of camaraderie extended to her professors, including Professor Bianca Reyes, Ph.D., who guided Keel’s dissertation work.
Dr. Keel’s journey at Adler culminated in a dissertation examining advancement opportunities for members of the BIPOC community within Ontario’s child and youth mental health sector — an issue deeply connected to both her career and personal mission.
“Having participants feel safe enough to share their experiences was really humbling,” she said. “I’m hopeful people will read it and think about the changes we can make in our sector to work toward improvement.”
Her research reflects a broader, ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion — values she continues to champion in her professional work.
“My motivation came from both personal and professional experience,” Dr. Keel explained. “After seeing how BIPOC individuals are treated, hearing the stories of colleagues and friends, and witnessing how little change has occurred over the past 20 years, I wanted to do something that could make even a small difference in the services we provide.”
Dr. Keel credits Adler University for fostering the supportive environment that allowed her research and personal growth to flourish.
“I don’t know if I would have enjoyed the process or been as successful if I had chosen a school whose values didn’t align with my own,” she said.
While many of her findings confirmed what she had observed throughout her career, one unexpected discovery deepened her perspective — the intersection between BIPOC and 2LGBTQ+ identities. She shared that this insight has shaped how she approaches leadership and advocacy within her field.
A community of leaders
Beyond academic and professional growth, Dr. Keel said one of the unexpected joys of her Adler experience was the network of strong professional women she met along the way.
“I’ve built strong friendships from being at Adler with other professional women, which is really amazing,” she added. “And having professors who are so passionate and knowledgeable was really lovely — it made a big difference.”
For Dr. Keel, completing her Ph.D. wasn’t just about achieving a long-held goal; it was about becoming the kind of leader who can help others thrive — in her organization, her community, and the next generation of mental health professionals.
“It’s been a long journey,” Dr. Keel said, “but I’m proud of where I am, and I’m excited for what’s next.”