Jenny Smith balanced four children and a four-hour round-trip commute to achieve her dream of earning a Doctor of Musical Arts.

Most Texas Tech University students have a five- or 10-minute commute to class. Whether by bus or electric scooter, even walking. Online students have an even shorter commute to their computer. 

For doctoral candidate Jenny Smith, she drove four hours roundtrip for each class. 

“When my family moved to Amarillo, Texas, I entertained the idea of pursuing a doctorate degree,” Jenny says. “There were no universities in our city that offered that, but I heard great things about the School of Music at Texas Tech.”

Curious, she called the faculty and asked some questions. 

She was interested in the program, but mentally, she couldn’t reconcile how to juggle everything on her plate. As a wife and a mom of four children, while additionally helping to care for an aging parent, Jenny did the math and it wasn’t adding up. 

“It was going to be too hard,” she says. 

She realized she would have to drive to Lubbock at least twice a week, which felt impossible. 

“I had all but convinced myself I couldn’t do it,” she says. 

She resigned herself to this conclusion, but over the following year, Texas Tech kept coming to mind. It was like a song on repeat she couldn’t get out of her head. And as her family settled into their new home, Jenny began wondering if the impossible was possible after all. 

From Passion to Career

Some people find their passion later in life – not Jenny. From the first time she watched “Hello Dolly!” on VHS, all she’s ever wanted to do is sing. She joined a children’s choir in elementary school and began private voice lessons at 14. 

The love of performing followed her into her senior year of high school, where she had a choir director who changed the course of her life. 

“He was amazing,” Jenny says. “I knew I loved singing, but I wasn’t sure if I could make a career out of it. He encouraged me to study music at the collegiate level, as he did for many other students who have gone on to have tremendous careers.” 

She enrolled at Utah State University to study vocal performance. From there, she made plans to pursue a master’s at Colorado State University. Three days before she moved, she was set up on a blind date by her mother and a family friend. The woman’s nephew, an officer in the Air Force, was in town. What began as an effort to appease their family bloomed into genuine romance. The young officer’s name was Dallin, and the couple spent the next several months dating long distance, stringing together long weekends between Colorado and California on flight vouchers. 

When Dallin’s assignment kept him from relocating, Jenny transferred to California State University, Fullerton. They were married in March 2004. 

Jenny and Dallin could roll with the punches – a skill which military families either possess or learn quickly. This would be needed over the following two decades as the family moved to Idaho, Utah, Mississippi, Ohio and finally Texas. Along the way, Dallin separated from the military and started his own graduate school trajectory. 

By the time Dallin was offered a position at West Texas A&M University in 2021, the couple had a combined five degrees, four children, three cross-country moves, two cars and one hamster. 

Jenny had taught voice, choir and other related courses at several colleges, including Utah Tech, Holmes Community College and the College of Wooster. 

“I love working with teens and young adults,” Jenny says. “Sometimes I feel like I’m still one of them, just trying to figure out life.

“I’ve always gravitated toward teaching that age group because they are making so many tough decisions, and they need all the support they can get,” she continues. “College students are living in a more complicated world than ever. If I can make singing fun, even a bit silly at times, it helps them believe in themselves.” 

It was for this reason that Jenny kept dreaming of pursuing a doctorate degree. She’d taught at the collegiate level before, but in visiting roles. The idea of having consistency at a university with her own studio was appealing. And even if that never materialized, she loved her craft, and knew the worst that could happen was becoming an even better singer. 

Seizing Opportunity

When Jenny’s family moved to Texas, their kids were 9, 11, 13 and 15. Each child was involved in athletics and the arts, attended a church youth group and kept Jenny busy at home with everything from homework to an ill-fated attempt at cinnamon rolls with not enough flour. 

Jenny was busy, but she was happy. 

As she began singing with the Amarillo Opera and taking other performance gigs, Texas Tech’s School of Music seemed a ubiquitous presence. 

“There were so many performers in the region who talked about the program in Lubbock,” she recalls. 

On a morning when the kids were busy, Jenny called Rebecca Hays, a former professor of voice at Texas Tech, and asked questions about the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program. Hays suggested that Jenny come to Lubbock and take a lesson, just to see if it was a fit. 

“I instantly fell in love with the place,” Jenny recalls. 

She drove the two hours back home to Amarillo, slowly talking herself out of applying. Her mind went through all her responsibilities at home, worrying that the time away from her children would be too much for them. But as she discussed the idea with Dallin and their kids, it was clear everyone was willing to do their part to help Jenny realize her dream. Her husband insisted this was a gateway that would lead to many open doors. She just needed to walk through it. 

When the fall 2022 semester began, Jenny was enrolled. She began part-time because between applying and the start of classes, it became necessary to move her mother from Utah to Texas. 

“My mom had been hit by an intoxicated driver and suffered a traumatic brain injury,” Jenny says. “We wanted her closer to us to make everyday tasks easier for her.” 

Not imagining she’d be juggling taking care of children and a parent at the start of a doctorate, Jenny never wavered. 

“I had to go slower at the beginning than I would have liked, but I kept on,” she says, proudly. 

By 2024, Jenny had completed many of her foundational classes and was focused on her dissertation as well as teaching undergraduate voice students alongside Ivy Walz, associate dean for faculty, research, creativity and outreach, and associate professor of voice. When she wasn’t running those classes, she was working with Walz on upcoming recitals. 

Many doctoral students participate in a mix of operas and recitals, but Jenny did all recitals, with faculty working to accommodate her commute.

“Opera meant many nights of dress rehearsals and performances,” Jenny explains, “which would have taken me away from my family for too long.” 

Her professors were creative in helping her craft an experience that remained rigorous while flexible. 

“Jenny is an exceptionally motivated, hardworking and generous human being,” says Walz. “I’ve seen her go through hard seasons as a parent while balancing the demands of this curriculum, but she is always professional, diligent and kind.” 

There is no doubt in Walz’s mind that Jenny will be an even better teacher than she was before coming to Texas Tech. 

“She wants to be the best singer she can be, but she really wants to be a great teacher,” Walz says. “She is willing to go through the steps of learning herself, which pays off when teaching others.” 

Jenny will be hooded this weekend after four years of doctoral work behind her and two grown children. Jenny plans to explore potential faculty positions and she’s entertaining the idea of starting a new vocal studio in Amarillo. 

“I couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support from everyone at the School of Music – they’ve become family to me,” Jenny says. “I want to carry that support and give it to future students, showing them that I believe in them like Texas Tech believed in me.”