Certifications

• Search Inside Yourself Teacher Certification, 2024.

• InnerMBA, Sounds True, Inc., 2022, 2023, and 2024 Cohorts.

• Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Online Learning Environment, Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

• Designing Learner-Centered and Equitable Courses, Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

• Inspiring Inquiry and Lifelong Learning in Your Online Course, Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

• Promoting Active Learning Online, Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).

Education

• Barry University of Miami Shores – Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Leadership

• Pennsylvania Western University - M.S. in Legal Studies/Law and Public Policy

• University of Central Florida - B.S. in Technical Education and Industry Training

• State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota - A.A. degree

• Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colorado - A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies

About Dr. Suzanne Bechtol, Founder

Dr. Suzanne Bechtol is actively involved in professional development and community engagement. She has led discussions on nurturing faculty connections in small academic programs, demonstrating her commitment to fostering a supportive and collaborative academic environment. She has led workshops to help others transform their emotional intelligence for leadership success in higher education. Focusing on the areas of attention, self-awareness, compassionate leadership, empathy in leadership, mindfulness meditation, vision, and stress management are her passion.

This passion for mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and meditation were inspired by a keynote speaker at a large event where the speaker said, “We all have fear. It’s how you respond to it.” The next day, wanting to know how to respond to her own feelings of fear, she Googled “How can I respond to fear?”. The list that followed would change her life in many respects. She immediately started reading books about mindfulness and emotional intelligence along with a lengthy list of workshops and courses on meditation. She practices in the vipassana meditation tradition which means to see things as they really are. It is an ancient tradition that was taught in India more than 2500 years ago.

Dr. Bechtol is proud to announce that she has been accepted into a two-year mindfulness and compassion teacher certification program. The program is sponsored by SoundsTrue, Inc. The course design and delivery are the foundations of famous meditation and mindfulness teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. After completing the meditation teaching program, she hopes to become a Certified Team Member of the Maxwell Leadership program so that she can take her leadership, coaching, and speaking events to the next level.

Dr. Bechtol is also involved in the administration of the Paralegal program at the State College of Florida. Her leadership skills were further recognized when she was selected to participate in the President's Leadership Academy at the State College of Florida. This prestigious program is designed to groom emerging leaders within the college, and Dr. Bechtol’s inclusion highlights her exceptional leadership qualities and her potential to make significant contributions to the institution's future.

Her unique backgrounds in both law and academics help in designing and delivering workshops that engage people in the legal and academic professions. Her enthusiasm for helping people in these industries to promote their awareness, presence, and mental clarity is unending. Having worked many years with college students, she also has enthusiasm for guiding her students in their emotional intelligence and mindfulness practices through group sessions, workshops, and one-on-one coaching. Her connection to her clients and students is not merely academic; it is deeply personal, stemming from her passion for the field, her personal observations of the effectiveness of these strategies of self improvement, and her genuine investment in the success of others, including her students.

As a servant leader, mentor and educator, Dr. Bechtol empowers professionals and college students to aim for mastery and confidence in their present and future careers.