This short address by Hunter McEwan provides a background to what a professional practice degree is and discusses some of the accomplishments of the very first group of graduates of the new EdD--the Doctorate in Professional Educational Practice--at the College of Education (COE) at the University of Hawai'i. The COE aimed at building a challenging doctoral degree in the EdD that would be professionally transformative and that could be completed in a reasonable amount of time by people who were also in full-time professional work. An important guiding principle in the planning for this professional practice degree was the preparation of quality educators in professional practice. The work for this program could not have been done without partnering with experts in the community. University of Hawai'i faculty advisors and field mentors teamed up to support students in their project work. One of the great strengths of the program is the cohort model and its diverse make up. The diverse group brought a range of experience into working relationships that was synergistic, and this created a high degree of critical reflection in small group sessions.