YSU COMMENCEMENT Couple earn doctoral degrees

James and Rebecca Shevchenko have 60 years of teaching between them.
YOUNGSTOWN -- James and Rebecca Shevchenko of Canfield have taken the concept of togetherness to a new level.
Married for nearly 26 years, they have worked together at the Mahoning County Career & amp; Technical Center in Canfield for almost 30 years. The couple also learned how to hang glide and scuba dive together. They even learned how to ride motorcycles alongside each other.
So, it is no surprise that they will be graduating together Sunday with doctoral degrees in educational leadership from Youngstown State University.
"I held off on graduating for one semester so we could participate in the ceremony together," said Rebecca, who started the program in 1998, one year before her husband. "I am excited to receive my doctorate. It's quite an accomplishment."
Commencement is 2 p.m. Sunday in Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.
The Shevchenkos are among the largest graduating class of doctoral recipients since the university began conferring the degree in 1992. Including the Shevchenkos, there are eight educational leadership recipients. In total, 600 students will receive degrees at commencement.
"We've always been a team," said James, who has a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in educational administration from YSU.
Once Rebecca, who holds a bachelor's degree in education, a master's degree in curriculum development and a master's degree in educational administration from YSU, began working on her doctorate, she soon discovered that the coursework and dissertation research would require a lot of time away from home and from her husband.
A year later, James, who teaches history, decided to enroll in the program.
"Going through a doctoral program alone would be hard on a marriage," he said. "It was better for us to share in the experience. We've always inspired each other to do new things."
Why they sought degree
The couple, planning to retire from the MCCTC, said they did not seek their degrees for career advancement or pay increases, but because they have always maintained a lifelong interest in learning.
They agreed that one of the most gratifying aspects of working on the degree was researching and writing their dissertations because they selected topics relevant to vocational education.
James wrote about "Vocational Training in the Construction Trades: Where Are the Minorities? Black Male Perspectives." Her dissertation is called "Perspectives of Habitat for Humanity Volunteers on Why Women Are Reluctant to Enroll in Vocational Training for Careers in the Building Trades."
"We advocate research about vocational education. Vocational education is important to us," said Rebecca, a mathematics teacher.
Though they have achieved the highest degrees in their field, they don't plan to end their association with YSU.
"We love YSU. We plan on continuing to come to campus to see plays and musicals and to use Maag Library," said Rebecca. "We also look forward to the Summer Festival of the Arts every year."
They haven't made any definite retirement plans.
"We may teach on the college level," said James. "We're just going to wait and see what happens."