Discusses autobiographical stories of one Caucasian and three African American female doctoral students during their "rites of passage" in educational administration departments. Although not generalizable, the four stories offer nontraditional students' varied perspectives and experiences. Training program recommendations cover five categories: powerlessness/empowerment; silence/voice; gatekeepers/supports; objective/passionate scholarship; and positivistic/interpretive paradigms. (77 references) (MLH)