Hand in hand: Husband and wife earn doctoral degrees from Liberty together

From serving in the United States Navy to being on the board of a missions nonprofit and raising their four children, Liberty University 2025 graduates Drs. Edmond and Sherri Bergeron have accomplished quite a bit in their nearly 34 years of marriage. The couple added yet another notch in their belts in May when they stood hand in hand during Liberty’s Commencement to receive their Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership.

The Bergerons first met in Wales, United Kingdom, while serving in the Navy. They now live in Fredericksburg, Va., and are as inseparable as the day they were married. In 2021, Edmond began to feel a call from God to pursue an advanced degree during a Sunday sermon. When he discussed this calling with Sherri, the couple agreed to embark on the educational journey together and enrolled in Liberty University Online Programs for the following fall.

Edmond, who retired from the Navy after 20 years of service, now works as a supervisory management and program analyst for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Sherri, who served 17 years in the Navy, works as a senior financial management advisor for the Department of the Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations. Balancing full-time jobs with their studies, the couple said they had moments of discouragement but persevered with each other’s support. They had to carve out time in their busy schedules, even when it meant writing papers from a hotel room in Honduras during mission trips. The couple serves on the board of International Ministry, Christ His Power in Action.

While they worked independently on their assignments, the Bergerons still cheered each other on.

“We would really encourage each other,” Sherri said. “When I would get sad or worked up, my husband would always be there to say, ‘We got this.’ It was just the same for him. When he had times of frustration, I would say, ‘We’re going to make it. The devil is not going to stop us. We’ve done so well.’”

They also found encouragement in the kind words from Liberty faculty and staff and noted that their professors would often pray with them.

Like many graduates who earned degrees through the online program, Commencement was the first time they had visited campus.

“It’s a whole different feeling when you walk on Liberty’s campus than if you go to any other college campus,” Edmond said. “There is a warmth and a loving atmosphere there. I was blown away. It’s not about the size of the campus; it’s about who’s there.”

Sherri said that attending Commencement in person also allowed her to personally thank several faculty members who helped her complete her educational journey, including John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Online Chair Dr. Gary Bredfeldt and Associate Professor Dr. Joe Butler. They thanked everyone for their hard work, devotion, and prayers, even though they were unable to meet their dissertation supervisors or second readers. Dr. Michael Grayston, the dissertation supervisor, and Dr. Jerry McKinney, the second reader, were assigned to Sherri; while Dr. Baylor Whitney, the dissertation supervisor, and Dr. Kevin Clark Jones, the second reader, were assigned to Edmond.

“It was such a monumental moment that my best friend — the man that in July I’ll have been married to for 34 years — was not only able to stand there with me and hold my hand, but I was also able to meet those who had such an impact on my life,” Sherri said.

She is now considering working as an adjunct professor, hoping to have the same impact on others that her Liberty professors had on her. Edmond plans to continue his work with FEMA and promote his new book, “Is the Church Ignoring the Four Ps Place, People, Praise, and Preaching? Revitalizing Church Communities Through Foundational Principles” (Westbow Press, 2025), which seeks to aid churches in fulfilling the Great Commission.

No matter what their futures hold, the Bergerons remain confident that their Liberty degrees have provided them with the tools for success.

“Just the university’s name brings validity, accreditation, and prestige of a great college,” Edmond said. “That speaks volumes when you want to go be a mentor, when you want to be an adjunct professor, or whatever you want to do. The backing of where you graduated from speaks volumes.”

“The classes I took helped tremendously when we were talking about teamwork, how to put together a good team, what makes a good team, and how to be a good leader,” Sherri added, noting they have also been helpful as they start a construction business, building affordable homes.  “Those classes were invaluable in my current position and will be for the rest of my life.”