tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6272414717656478572024-02-19T01:38:45.248-08:00Latinas Completing Doctoral DegreesI started this blog because of a personal need - to find moral, spiritual and practical support to complete the final part of a doctoral degree - THE DISSERTATION. I find it hard to believe that the coursework and comprehensive exams now seem "easy" compared to this lonely dissertation process. I am hoping this blog can connect Latinas in this journey and raise our completion rates to as close to 100% as possible. I want us to realize we are not alone and we can do this!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-77504968850505095092014-11-02T19:32:00.000-08:002014-11-02T19:47:10.420-08:00Autocorrect is Wrong: My Dissertation IS NOT in Disarray<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_auDlT3C1bMmRTEvsN2cx5fVVdr1_hbUZVD4R4bZw3-KBCygllxd3Oi0mdnU-oYYoK1Q5iBxae2DAfjNY54sFeSO12VCnYEfbeYy5D-7X3RwjM0kbF9eJU2DjaO9dqKXU9ikC1LcF77M/s1600/Grupo+Cinco+Selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_auDlT3C1bMmRTEvsN2cx5fVVdr1_hbUZVD4R4bZw3-KBCygllxd3Oi0mdnU-oYYoK1Q5iBxae2DAfjNY54sFeSO12VCnYEfbeYy5D-7X3RwjM0kbF9eJU2DjaO9dqKXU9ikC1LcF77M/s1600/Grupo+Cinco+Selfie.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Beautiful Writing Group: Helping Each Other Stay Focused</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
type the word "dissertation" into my iPhone at least twice a day
while searching, texting, and communicating with my rather large support group
who are with me on my journey to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doctora</i>.
The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/">Latinas
Completing Doctoral Degrees Facebook group</a> now has over 900 members and counting.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without
fail, the autocorrect function, which is usually spot on (yeah right) wants to
change the word "dissertation" to "disarray" every time. It
got me thinking about the doctoral process in the midst of real life. No matter
how focused I try to stay, life happens and then it does begin to feel like my
dissertation is in complete disarray. <br />
<br />
I recently violated one of the many deadly sins of dissertation writing: I
started a new job! Forget about disarray, the dissertation process was at a
complete standstill for a whole month while I got acclimated to my new role as
Dean of Students and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. It was an
opportunity of a lifetime that happened because of my dissertation and I could
not pass it up. Yes, it's true. While gathering data for my dissertation on how
race, ethnicity and gender impact the career path and aspirations of Latinas in
mid-level administration in student affairs, I discovered some of my own
self-imposed limited aspirations. These amazing 26 Latinas who participated in
my study provided a much needed mirror for me that showed me how much I had been
doubting my professional experience and not reaching for senior level
leadership positions. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without
revealing too much of my findings since I am writing about those in my
dissertation, it became clear that I was putting my career in the hands of others while I should
have been taking control and putting myself out there. So I started applying
for positions I once thought were too lofty for me and for which I did not
previously think I would be qualified. My research made it clear to me that I
was qualified and the amazing thing that happened was that not only was I getting
called for first round interviews, I made it to finalist consideration for two senior
level positions and ultimately I accepted one of them.<br />
<br />
Despite having changed jobs during the dissertation process, thus somewhat
delaying the process for me, I have no regrets. I love my new position and I am
back on track with my writing thanks to three supportive Latinas and members of
the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/">Latinas
Completing Doctoral Degree Facebook group</a>, with whom I formed a writing
group over the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have all been encouraging,
nudging and what I like to call, having <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chancleta</i>
moments to keep us motivated. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chancleta</i>
means sandal in Spanish and a form of parental discipline some of us in the
group instantly recognized). <br />
<br />
I am exactly where I need to be and I honored my research by taking action in
my life because of it. I wouldn't have it any other way. My journey continues
and I do see the light at the end of the tunnel with a bonus advancement in my
career to boot!</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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</xml><![endif]--><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-2036988864706843042014-08-11T21:03:00.001-07:002014-08-12T12:07:18.122-07:00Guest Blogger: Marie Nubia Feliciano at the First International Latina/o Studies Conference<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NqNG9s-kgymFpmDHkYjxlXqPPbczGrH4Er9CFE8bOoxgaD8OIZTKNDn5KSS9e7R1CaSO4bP8r59y7FPppCF4vxHammWk-UhYICijiqA5H4Zg8kZ05-X9OqdQceq30Ffu_s7XqrMxqE4/s1600/Marie+Nubia+Feliciano+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NqNG9s-kgymFpmDHkYjxlXqPPbczGrH4Er9CFE8bOoxgaD8OIZTKNDn5KSS9e7R1CaSO4bP8r59y7FPppCF4vxHammWk-UhYICijiqA5H4Zg8kZ05-X9OqdQceq30Ffu_s7XqrMxqE4/s1600/Marie+Nubia+Feliciano+Photo.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest Blogger: Marie Nubia Feliciano</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This week’s special guest blogger Marie Nubia Feliciano shares her story about her recent trip to Chicago to attend the first <a href="http://www.latinostudiesconference.com/" target="_blank">International Latina/o Studies Conference</a>. Marie also shares a little about her balancing act of being a doctoral student, partner, mom and employee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I send this amazing woman positive energy, strength and the courage to persevere and use all support systems available for her to achieve her goals, including completing her doctorate and advancing in her career. Marie, we are all behind you and can’t wait to add you to the Galeria de Doctoras Latinas as the future Doctora Feliciano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pa’lante hermana! </span><br />
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<i><span class="null"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Marie Nubia Feliciano shares her affirming experience at the International Latina/o Studies Conference. Please read on:</b></span></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uveOj_6qcAoLw9lAg5_hDTLIhOPkQahpdsaVyu4ueAdpgZfnQoig_yoOfX5t17k_wVMdHTlnPYg3e1fmogJOrcDORg0C144WRiljvS7_7tQodpxgTsTJa2a2C8pomZ8-XniqmXILPso/s1600/Marie+Nubia+Feliciano+and+Dra.+Ylce+Irizarry+at+NACOPRW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uveOj_6qcAoLw9lAg5_hDTLIhOPkQahpdsaVyu4ueAdpgZfnQoig_yoOfX5t17k_wVMdHTlnPYg3e1fmogJOrcDORg0C144WRiljvS7_7tQodpxgTsTJa2a2C8pomZ8-XniqmXILPso/s1600/Marie+Nubia+Feliciano+and+Dra.+Ylce+Irizarry+at+NACOPRW.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Marie Nubia Feliciano and Dra. Ylce Irizarry</i></td></tr>
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<i><span class="null"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This July, I attended the first
<a href="http://www.latinostudiesconference.com/" target="_blank">International Latina/o Studies Conference</a> with the theme “Imagining the Past,
Present and Future." The conference ran from July 17 to the 19 and was held in
Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel. It was the first time I presented on my
dissertation topic, the college going experiences of Afro-Borinqueñas both
stateside and in Puerto Rico. The experience was very good. I received good
feedback on the presentation and was able to hand out my recruitment flyer to
those who attended the presentation. I also ran into a fellow Facebook friend from
the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees Facebook</a> group, Doctora Ylce Irizarry. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="null"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During my time there, I was also
able to connect with some fabulous women from the <a href="http://www.nacoprw.org/" target="_blank">National Conference of PuertoRican Women (NACOPRW)</a> in Chicago. I was first treated to a brunch at Nellie’s,
a Puerto Rican restaurant. In the afternoon, I got a tour of Paseo Boricua, the
cultural hub of the Puerto Rican community in Chicago. </span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM22tDutOV6hFoqNPW0ivHg1jFxt6g-iQDdVUD-Gr5zQfROUWkOQSjGOdnAYorjiS7oE0o8KrRUfgchgY1cBjVyS_Ia_SVqwypru3jhU-uZuWewpqIzFBlECscVUjcUofjWY5FkIAr46Y/s1600/Marie+food+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM22tDutOV6hFoqNPW0ivHg1jFxt6g-iQDdVUD-Gr5zQfROUWkOQSjGOdnAYorjiS7oE0o8KrRUfgchgY1cBjVyS_Ia_SVqwypru3jhU-uZuWewpqIzFBlECscVUjcUofjWY5FkIAr46Y/s1600/Marie+food+pic.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><span class="null"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The hospitality was overwhelming…I
hope to be in the position to pay it forward someday soon</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">.</span></i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">My journey to where I am today has
been full of challenges. With two children, a partner, two cats, and a house
to attend to, I am well entrenched in my private self. That often leaves little room
or time for the development of my public self. As Michel Martin wrote in the
recent National Journal (</span><a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/when-the-conversation-about-having-it-all-begins-and-ends-with-white-women-20140725"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/when-the-conversation-about-having-it-all-begins-and-ends-with-white-women-20140725</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">), I am part of the “transitional generation,” the one who is
benefiting from the work of previous generations of women and men who struggled
to get the doors of academia open just enough for us to squeeze through. They
are now holding the doors open with their sheer will and grit. They hope that
enough of us get through so that they can let go and the door will stay open. I
am part of that transitional generation who is now charged with doing the work of
keeping the door open. </span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12ZRzwDSFI9ZYH2j2eWngvw2rN429ipwJMKQ4k3VnNH5jI_MWbcL5Z6n0rhbZutHKH9o9NeFA-bDXPiMsjn-ty1eb5h9zcA82Sa0FovaueY5CS1IZMyO1J2ssBtsx9k_h82gM3uMHagw/s1600/Marie+Institute+of+PR+Arts+and+Culture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12ZRzwDSFI9ZYH2j2eWngvw2rN429ipwJMKQ4k3VnNH5jI_MWbcL5Z6n0rhbZutHKH9o9NeFA-bDXPiMsjn-ty1eb5h9zcA82Sa0FovaueY5CS1IZMyO1J2ssBtsx9k_h82gM3uMHagw/s1600/Marie+Institute+of+PR+Arts+and+Culture.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">However, being part of that
transitional generation also means that I have to deal with 21<sup>st</sup>
century realities of job insecurity, daycare expenses, and student loans. It
means dealing with the microaggressions that have the potential of shortening my
life expectancy. It means still having to work twice as hard to be considered
half as qualified as a white faculty or graduate student. The struggle
continues and I am hopeful. I am hopeful because I am intentional in my engagements
with others. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxo_5kgxXKj6YiRcy38s5DDb7PzQWDaUU_rCnCot9Ly70FfTXtODNRHjtkNlMwwV7r8xxECsY6jLSsU6iwKiMIRUQMb1JyeVMMgHwEvPRBAm_9GSxkce3wUSVvb2P_sO4orYS8VTfwFo/s1600/Marie+pics+from+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxo_5kgxXKj6YiRcy38s5DDb7PzQWDaUU_rCnCot9Ly70FfTXtODNRHjtkNlMwwV7r8xxECsY6jLSsU6iwKiMIRUQMb1JyeVMMgHwEvPRBAm_9GSxkce3wUSVvb2P_sO4orYS8VTfwFo/s1600/Marie+pics+from+restaurant.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-no-proof: yes;">I recently reached out to a faculty
person at CSU Pomona to see if we can work together on a project. He said yes
and that this could be a mutually beneficial relationship. I stopped him
and said that I am not in the business of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">trading favors...I'm
not big on transactional relationships. I will help him just because I like
what he does and want to support a fellow colleague of color advance in the
academy. I like to start from an authentic place as often as possible. I put
that sense of authenticity out to the world in the hope that it will be
returned to me. That is what I lay my hope in. That is what I hope will
contribute to the changes that need to happen in academia. I see this as my
contribution to keeping the door open for others to follow.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-7363354268047257712014-06-29T13:12:00.000-07:002014-06-29T13:12:08.806-07:00It Takes a Village: Why Asking for Help is Essential to the Dissertation Process<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIayk6nCG3kGWfyCmDpo-v1QGFf7d2PpvgbQTrrTOUU9OCg_P5OMnEo5CM8dSkvnJzEKclANznjt6DsyZ5U8X2FA-gCuPA3VpiJAsl6Dweph697r5rgW9tb7JVVocqPac6XzeswYvFlFg/s1600/Helpful+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIayk6nCG3kGWfyCmDpo-v1QGFf7d2PpvgbQTrrTOUU9OCg_P5OMnEo5CM8dSkvnJzEKclANznjt6DsyZ5U8X2FA-gCuPA3VpiJAsl6Dweph697r5rgW9tb7JVVocqPac6XzeswYvFlFg/s1600/Helpful+books.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 700<sup>th</sup> person just joined my Facebook group:
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees</a>, and I am both amazed and humbled at the
same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost a year ago I <a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/04/join-me-in-my-journey-to-be-doctora.html" target="_blank">started blogging about my dissertation journey</a> in hopes that I would find support for
my extrinsically motivated self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Facebook group then seemed like another way to find additional help and maybe
even comfort from a community that I could trust. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many other doctoral students, there are myriad
feelings that come up for me when I realize that I can’t complete the dissertation
on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I do admit that I
need help, I am careful about to whom I reach out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This got me thinking: what holds us back from
asking for help? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After completing the coursework and comprehensive exams in
our doctoral programs, we are told that we should now be prepared to complete a
dissertation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I don’t think I was
unique when I got that terrifying feeling that the task that I was about to
embark on was going to be daunting, to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, there are now numerous books available
(see reference links below) that try to simplify the dissertation process by
providing tips, tricks and insight into what goes on in the mind of a
dissertating student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one kind
of help that works if you are a person that is self-motivated and can follow
structured directions like a robot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
I am one of those “people persons” with a need for human interaction and
ongoing feedback and <a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/05/where-does-dissertation-motivation-come.html" target="_blank">I already admitted that I am also an extrinsically motivated person</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, the usual dissertation committee setup does
not always provide that constant support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do feel fortunate that I have an amazingly supportive dissertation
mentor and a wonderfully reassuring committee, but they all have many other
responsibilities and it is not appropriate for me to expect constant check-ins
and reminders. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many other instances in our lives that we don’t
think twice about asking for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, I had a recent knee injury that needed a team of people to come
together to help me get back to “normal.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My primary care physician, surgeon, physical
therapist, co-workers and most importantly, my family formed the dream team to
get me back on my feet literally and figuratively. Everyone did their part to
assist me when I needed it and even when I refused to admit I needed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing more humbling than hobbling
around on crutches and becoming so much more conscious of the privilege that I
have as an able-bodied person (but that’s a blog post for another day). I
learned to ask for help and not feel guilty or undeserving of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was more challenging for me than I
thought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So back to the question about what holds us back from asking
for help in the dissertation process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are some thoughts I came up with:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>External Issues:</b> Our intuition tells us that we will be
judged and those stereotypes about who does and does not belong in academia
begin to show up in the ways that we are or are not actively supported.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that when
we ask for help we are doing a few things: </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>admitting we can’t do it alone</li>
<li>making ourselves vulnerable</li>
<li>relying on others who may or may not actually be
able to help</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Internal Issues:</b> Our feelings of inadequacy might creep up
and we begin to believe that if we are asking for help we: </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>are not capable of doing it ourselves</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>don’t know what we're doing</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>should have known better than to think we could
dare to aspire to accomplish such a significant achievement</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think on both sides of these equations there are some
truths, but the bottom line is that NO ONE has ever done anything significant
ALONE. Every great invention or accomplishment starts with an idea, but the
final version of any great thing came to be because of a team of people who
believed in the idea and then used their variety of talents to make it
happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This summer I decided to post a question in the Facebook
group about creating summer writing accountability groups and I honestly
thought that maybe 5 or 6 others might reply with interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now have almost 60 Latina doctoral
students from all over the United States, organized in 10 groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
writing groups are designed to support each other and provide a variety of online (and
some in-person) check-in mechanisms to ensure a productive summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am one of those people who is already benefiting
from this initiative. My group has motivated me to spend time in the library and keep going at night when I thought I was too tired to code and write. (Thank you Darleny, Shirley and Daphnie!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By reaching out for help and seeing my dissertation as a collaborative
process I opened up a world of support, hope and love (yes love) that I could
never have imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful and
look forward to celebrating more milestones with my newly found support group, um, I
mean, summer writing accountability group. ;)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">As referenced above,
here are some useful dissertation writing resource links:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/dissertationresources/">http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/dissertationresources/</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://thesiswhisperer.com/2010/11/18/5-books-to-help-you-with-your-phd/">http://thesiswhisperer.com/2010/11/18/5-books-to-help-you-with-your-phd/</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://juliopeironcely.com/archives/top-42-books-phd-graduate-students.html">http://juliopeironcely.com/archives/top-42-books-phd-graduate-students.html</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/dissertations/">http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/dissertations/</a>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-56654123754847341402014-04-29T22:26:00.001-07:002014-04-30T06:51:22.375-07:00One Major Key to Success for Doctoral Students: Building a Supportive
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2VVQJZ9phNuOOhuwjTCcC7SU8uKTJm0wNkeiH1LCFUFTi-6Ux_omBlZh48hCTdxB10oZHrT1srzp8oDwZlqnlMUXzd5MwVwifbkCAus-wMauvweGH0cYNOMlExFxwOC1Y_CAuPdegik/s1600/LCDD+cover+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2VVQJZ9phNuOOhuwjTCcC7SU8uKTJm0wNkeiH1LCFUFTi-6Ux_omBlZh48hCTdxB10oZHrT1srzp8oDwZlqnlMUXzd5MwVwifbkCAus-wMauvweGH0cYNOMlExFxwOC1Y_CAuPdegik/s1600/LCDD+cover+page.jpg" height="118" width="320"></a></div>
I am excited to share that I recently finished collecting
data for my dissertation and the finish line is now in sight. I must say I owe
it to my amazing committee, my understanding family, my helpful colleagues and
a very supportive online network. About a year ago, I was still in the dissertation
proposal stage feeling very isolated and alone in the process. As I described
in my <a href="http://www.doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/04/join-me-in-my-journey-to-be-doctora.html" target="_blank">first blog entry</a>, I was searching for a way to connect with others having similar struggles and could not find it. My frustration prompted me to start blogging: <a href="http://www.doctoralatina.blogspot.com/">www.doctoralatina.blogspot.com</a>. The Doctoralatina blog then lead to the creation of the
Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees</a> and I am proud to say that it has
grown to over 600 members. I am humbled by the idea that new members are
joining every day looking for what I couldn't find last year - a support
network that understands the unique challenges of Latina doctoral students. With
so much interest growing daily, could it be possible that a major factor to
doctoral degree completion is forming a strong support network?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say yes - absolutely!
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<br></div>
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The beauty of my doctoral program is that it was perfect for
someone who needed the flexibility of completing a degree while holding a full
time job. The downside was not having a set cohort to bond with, commiserate
with and motivate each other to a common goal: completing the doctoral degree.
What this means is that it then becomes essential to build your own supportive
network.The tricky part is that the people in this network need to understand
your unique circumstances. I would venture to say they also need to be one
with whom you can be vulnerable and ask questions without the fear of being perceived as incompetent. </div>
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<br></div>
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This reminds me of a recent impromptu dinner gathering that
happened when I attended a national student affairs conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A group of us who did not really know each
other before decided to go to dinner together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a very comfortable conversation. We shared work and life
challenges and gave each other advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was like we were old friends and could share our stories without fear
of being judged. What did we all have in common? We were all Latinas with a
shared understanding of the unique issues that we all face in higher education.
</div>
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<br></div>
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I feel the Facebook group has taken a life of
its own and has become a place where Latina scholars ask questions, celebrate
milestones and share challenges in a supportive and affirming environment. There is something
special about having a space to share these experiences, hopefully minimizing the
feelings of isolation and the lonely writing process. You can't find this kind
of network everywhere and if you don't find what you seek - create it!</div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So my advice to new (or not so new) doctoral students is to
get to know their fellow students and build a social support network as early
as possible. Find people with whom you have things in common. For example, if
you are a parent, find other parents; if you are juggling classes while working
full time, find others doing the same. There are so many commonalities that can
connect people enough to form that supportive self-created cohort that can lead
to successful completion of the doctoral degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br></div>
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I wish I had found this network earlier in my doctoral
program, but no need to lament at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have not only created the network I needed, but have fully thrived
through it and have finished collecting data and am on my way to writing my
final dissertation chapters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my
faculty, supportive family, helpful colleagues and the amazing online
network, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees</a> to thank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, the most important group to thank
are the amazing Latinas who agreed to be interviewed for my dissertation study.
I can’t wait to tell their stories, so on to coding and analyzing! (More about
that in my next blog post - stay tuned.) </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-78572758161803593962014-03-02T23:00:00.000-08:002014-03-03T08:41:28.757-08:00Celebrating Milestones and Handling Setbacks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5IEhvMDQwBIfPPaVxo5akcvhjEk7OG-NNHWX91jOqSgkVboPnfvVkpM1FuyidUTJ2VbH4AUQCSyaMz2jX6ekBJ7Ex297Z7MjQaF40y6idpL1DnjTfm9az2nOinIn628snbw0odrwj7w/s1600/Celebrating+Milestones+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5IEhvMDQwBIfPPaVxo5akcvhjEk7OG-NNHWX91jOqSgkVboPnfvVkpM1FuyidUTJ2VbH4AUQCSyaMz2jX6ekBJ7Ex297Z7MjQaF40y6idpL1DnjTfm9az2nOinIn628snbw0odrwj7w/s1600/Celebrating+Milestones+Pic.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top - Dissertation Proposal Defense, Bottom Left - Ready for a great ski day with the family, Bottom Right - Waiting for rescue after knee injury</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I recently had to put
some things in perspective and I thank God for moments of clarity to help me take
a moment to celebrate milestones and handle setbacks. The dissertation
process is something like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I celebrated 2
milestones in my doctoral journey. I successfully defended my dissertation proposal
and submitted the IRB application. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
happy to report that I received a letter from the IRB and with some minor edits,
I am confident that I will get the green light to conduct the interviews for my
study in the timeline I planned so that I can then go on to the next milestone –
collecting data!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I also experienced a
major setback. I thought I would be celebrating another major milestone in my
physical fitness life, but it looks like plans will need to be changed. On the
day before I was supposed to take the test for my Red/Black belt in Tae Kwon
Do, a major step before the Black Belt, I suffered a ski injury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tore the ACL in my right knee (the one I
need to drive!) and now I will require surgery with a long recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I envisioned that this year I was going to
celebrate two major accomplishments - completing my doctoral degree and
achieving Black Belt status in Tae Kwon Do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I now have to modify that plan both mentally and physically. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I was lucky to get some
perspective the day of my injury. As I was feeling sorry for myself at the
bottom of the ski mountain, I looked up and saw an 80 plus year old man coming
down the slope with just one leg and when I looked closer at his jacket, it
turns out he is one of the ski instructors! This was truly a spiritual and
inspirational moment that I feel blessed to have experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took this vision as a sign from God that
each of us has to carry on no matter what obstacles might seem insurmountable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My knee can and will heal and I can choose to
stay positive and move forward. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Interestingly,
since this injury happened, I have had many people share stories with me about similar ones they’ve had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess my
crutches and knee brace make my injury visible to all and people can’t help but
to ask me what happened and the exchange begins. Now I'm learning so much about
my friends and colleagues - things I never knew about their struggles because
they are no longer visible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The part of
these stories that I enjoy hearing most is about their healing process and how
much better they feel now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes me
wonder what other invisible struggles people are suffering through that I never
get to hear about, but would help me get a better understanding of the source
of each person’s resilience and strength.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I feel like this is
exactly what happened when I started blogging about my dissertation process and
sharing in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees Facebook group</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something special about people being
willing to tell others about their struggles that creates a shared solidarity
that helps them realize they are not alone and that there is hope for
overcoming setbacks, big and small.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Although I have had to
modify my expectations with the milestones I expected for this year, I am still
very happy with my dissertation progress and look forward to my physical healing
process. My new favorite word stated often by my excellent dissertation mentor as
I have been moving through the process is: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Onward!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes. Yes indeed. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-57806013443238549112013-12-31T16:33:00.001-08:002013-12-31T17:24:15.574-08:00Year End Gratitude and Goal Setting for 2014!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v5dBfFwk5oGA_e24dkQyX8QC0MkyONdQMJivq3itrzfiow36Jx0QLgLfakW__LpMjPWe30qSLZ9X-AC_zGsT5gzH9MM2I4Iqsuu1M3iSvc2v86eXsXZbejIJ41BCykjMvaV03hQ3drk/s1600/EOY+2013+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v5dBfFwk5oGA_e24dkQyX8QC0MkyONdQMJivq3itrzfiow36Jx0QLgLfakW__LpMjPWe30qSLZ9X-AC_zGsT5gzH9MM2I4Iqsuu1M3iSvc2v86eXsXZbejIJ41BCykjMvaV03hQ3drk/s1600/EOY+2013+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating 2013 and looking forward to 2014!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The end of the year seems to be a perfect time to reflect on
accomplishments of the past and set goals for the future. It is also a great
time for expressing gratitude to people in our lives who serve as reminders of
how connected we all really are. Interestingly, social media played a big part
of feeling more human connection despite critics who believe otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One great example of this was a recent visit
to the home of Doctora Nelly Cardinale, who is currently featured in our Galeria de
Doctoras Latinas and shared her dissertation defense story <a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/08/guest-blogger-dr-nelly-cardinales.html" target="_blank">(click here to read Nelly's post</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is someone I met
on Facebook who has been so encouraging to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was surreal to have connected online for many months and then finally
have the opportunity for our families to meet in person.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BzwMuQoLR37GEV-Uce9sUKS9mi8kodbYGVmqheGarrnSmRZ2ylRsiR7HHTrKAEBryhj2Q4Pt0drhQnfkehWhUljddYGNJbQtMa0W4qPLhV20zDjcXqmfEbxx48P3xZUvF2Ig1P-tnYE/s1600/2+Familias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BzwMuQoLR37GEV-Uce9sUKS9mi8kodbYGVmqheGarrnSmRZ2ylRsiR7HHTrKAEBryhj2Q4Pt0drhQnfkehWhUljddYGNJbQtMa0W4qPLhV20zDjcXqmfEbxx48P3xZUvF2Ig1P-tnYE/s1600/2+Familias.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cardinale Family hosts the Pertuz Family December 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am grateful for being open to trying new things and allowing
the unexpected to happen in support of my goals. I have been trying to finish my
dissertation to earn my doctorate for quite some time, and I almost gave up. I
was surprised at my own negative thoughts – so unlike me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider myself a problem solver, not a
quitter. I would recognize a problem and take actions toward a solution, even
if that means reaching out for help. How I reached out for help was unusual for
me and what happened next was so much better than I expected. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I never thought I would become a blogger, but it seemed
necessary when in a moment of desperation, trying to find some online support
in my dissertation process, I started Googling “Latinas” and “doctorates” and
what came up were mostly pornography sites. I was surprised by the idea that the
top online associations with the word “Latina” would not yield the scholarly
and professional aspects of who we are. That was when I decided to start this
blog and share my Latina doctoral journey. I guess I should have been using
Google Scholar because there I did later find scholarly articles (very few)
about Latina doctoral experiences. Knowing that others were reading it, responding and sending
me encouragement was so motivating that I got moving and I am on my way to
defending my dissertation proposal soon and will collect data shortly after
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see my doctorate in my near
future and I am not giving up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so grateful to my faculty at Seton Hall University for their ongoing support.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I got
such positive responses from this blog that it also led me to consider the bigger picture of
Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
I started a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> by suggestion from one of my sister scholars,
Sherlene Ayala who is on her own doctoral journey and who shared her own perspective
as a guest blogger (<a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/11/guest-blogger-sherlene-ayala-angry.html" target="_blank">click here read Sherlene's blog entry</a>). I also had my beautiful sister Cindy Bautista-Thomas share the beginning of her doctoral journey (<a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/10/guest-blogger-cindy-bautista-thomas.html" target="_blank">click here to read Cindy's blog entry</a>).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I discovered firsthand that there is something really
powerful about sharing your struggles and even more powerful when others begin
to share similar ones – and together, we begin to form a circle of solidarity
and support. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I learned nothing else this year, the most powerful
message I received was that NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN COMMUNITY and we
cannot accomplish great things without a strong network backing us up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thank Doctora Angelica Perez, founder of the <a href="http://www.ellainstitute.com/" target="_blank">Ella Leadership Institute</a>
for planting the blogger seed in me by allowing me to share my thoughts on her
blog back in September 2012 (<a href="http://newlatina.net/entitlement-is-not-a-dirty-word-a-reflection-on-the-pursuit-of-a-life-well-earned/" target="_blank">click here for article)</a>, for agreeing to serve on my dissertation committee and for reminding Latinas to
Think Big! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my blogging journey I also found the <a href="http://www.latinaresearchers.com/" target="_blank">Latina Researchers Network</a> founded by Doctora Silvia Mazzula and I am happy
to say that I will be joining them in their efforts to encourage Latinas and
other underrepresented scholars to thrive by mentoring each other and inspiring
a new generation of scholars. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I am always grateful for my family who
unconditionally offer me their unwavering love and support in all that I do.
Not for one second do I take this for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am here because of them and for them always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thank my husband, artist Antonio Pertuz <a href="http://www.latinationdesigns.com/" target="_blank">www.latinationdesigns.com</a> and my
children Ariana and Joaquin for being so patient with their Mami while she
fulfills her goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they don’t
realize now is how much better their lives will be once I’m finally PhinisheD
(#seewhatIdidthere).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gracias to all of the amazing people in my life who inspire
me and support me – too many to name, but they know who they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please continue to join me on what has now
become a movement on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/latinascompletingdoctoraldegrees">https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and <a href="http://www.latinaresearchers.com/" target="_blank">www.latinaresearchers.com</a>
to increase Latina doctoral recipients and scholarship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So excited for what 2014 will bring!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy New Year!!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-16924222908294470172013-12-08T18:25:00.001-08:002013-12-08T23:25:39.841-08:00Dissertation Roadblock: Getting Stuck on the Information Superhighway<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk8axNe8-NrXE3ucA9mzGJKMmpszXFeP6GV7GRCadQfRdcD2XcYPh386izNex4CRe3h3NzPQdcwiIQkhDS_4MEpUo72KXgIOLZVh7aGOmj5HpkHpweWSmOtVkX2N_tIeWNcVNGE18ukk/s1600/How+to+Never+Give+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk8axNe8-NrXE3ucA9mzGJKMmpszXFeP6GV7GRCadQfRdcD2XcYPh386izNex4CRe3h3NzPQdcwiIQkhDS_4MEpUo72KXgIOLZVh7aGOmj5HpkHpweWSmOtVkX2N_tIeWNcVNGE18ukk/s1600/How+to+Never+Give+Up.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found this great infographic by Anna Vital on http://fundersandfounders.com/how-to-never-give-up-becoming-entrepreneur/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I feel like the past
few weeks I have been in hibernation mode and I know it's been a while since I have posted a new blog entry. I think people underestimate the
rigor of thought. I can see why so many academics have a hard time explaining
and justifying what they do. After reading study upon study and journal article
upon journal article for my dissertation literature review, I found that it
takes time to stop, think about and consider what each author was trying to convey.
Then making the connection to my topic becomes the real challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when I do make the connection, I start
to write and when I read it back, I get intimidated by my own writing. The
imposter syndrome creeps in - is this really me or am I somehow conjuring up
some other intellectual I might have read before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is one of the roadblocks for
Latinas completing their dissertations and why the lit review becomes so
difficult for many of us. It is time consuming and can be the loneliest part of
all. You're needing to read, at some point stop the reading and get your
thoughts down on paper.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I refuse to see this
phase as being stuck. This is the thinking that makes us stop and GIVE UP. A member
of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees Facebook</a> group posted a note that really struck
a chord with me at the exact same moment I was thinking the same thing. She was
seeking advice about what is the best way to put in order all of the articles she
was reading for her dissertation. I could completely relate because that is
exactly what I was going through - trying to figure out how to best organize
and make sense of all the information while remaining focused on the main ideas.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some time ago, I came
up with a solution for organizing my articles by creating a summary sheet to
analyze each article separately in order to consider each one carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also came up with themes where I found
common threads and created a category sheet where I could group things together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I created an online form in Google
drive so that I can enter references from anywhere and from any mobile
device.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As time consuming as this was, I
found it much easier to streamline the process and make it manageable. As it
turns out, organizing articles is easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The difficult part is not letting the rigor and time that it takes to
discourage you from continuing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
why, according to <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/doctorates%20o" target="_blank">NSF</a>
Latinas earned only 2.3% of the doctorates granted in the United States in
2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know how to work hard, but we
start doubting our own abilities when we get overwhelmed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It gives me great
comfort to know that I am not alone in this process. I have this blog and the Facebook
group not only for support, but to help hold me accountable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been wonderful meeting other Latinas working
on their doctorates and even the ones who have finished have been generous with
their words of sabiduria (wisdom).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without this network of support it would have been so easy to just walk
away and get on with my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I did
not realize is that THIS IS MY LIFE. So I decided to write down what I believe
are my current challenges and how I plan to overcome them:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. Fear of my own writing ability AKA, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
imposter syndrome. </i></b>Solution: I remind myself that I have already
written thousands of pages between papers for college and grad school, reports
at work and of course tons of well crafted emails.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. My proposal draft is never good enough to send to
my faculty chair and dissertation committee AKA <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perfectionism</i></b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Solution: From this point on, I commit to
sending a weekly update with an explanation of what I did for the week. This will
keep me on track and accountable since I rely heavily on external motivation.
See previous blog entry: http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/05/where-does-dissertation-motivation-come.html<a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/05/curiosity-killed-dissertation_19.html"></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3. Feeling overwhelmed. Solution: I created an
organization system and I try to stick to it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4. Feeling isolated from the institution. Solution: Keep
in touch with my faculty and remember that they are there to help me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want me to finish too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have told me that several times!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5. Overall anxiety. Solution: I remember that it is important to take care of myself and I find ways to relax. Most importantly,I
seek out a support system. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you to the members
of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/" target="_blank">LatinasCompleting Doctoral Degrees Facebook group</a> and to the <a href="http://latinaresearchers.com/">Latina Researchers Network</a>, with whom
I have also recently connected who help to keep me focused and motivated to
finish. We can all do this!</span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-46985715887920665042013-11-04T10:29:00.001-08:002013-11-07T07:43:52.026-08:00Guest Blogger Sherlene Ayala: Angry Latina with a Balancing Act and an Added Dose of Microaggressions<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week’s special guest blogger has a story to tell about her balancing act of
being a full time employee, doctoral student and family member.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This struggle would seem pretty typical for
any person trying to achieve many goals, but what makes this story different,
are the day to day microaggressions that Sherlene Ayala has to endure as a Latina on a
journey to do great things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone
trying to do the same thing with the balancing act, and enduring many of the
same microaggressions, I literally feel her pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I send this extraordinary young woman
positive energy, strength and the courage to persevere and use all support
systems available for her to achieve her goals, complete her doctorate and advance in her career.
Sherlene, we are all rooting for you and can’t wait to add you to the Galeria
de Doctoras Latinas as the future Dr. Ayala.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pa’lante hermana! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_RlItEHIPAznxM0eELBKKgtVVpuP64Bkdw6eWOSPIGs6pVXVSrNncVRGQkm74bsU5Zgd6I9gUYdXC5iaY6putcY3QhGYeAD8AP23mIsaLo76zUZOJPFXRblIJ96dx5MfNDOdRRCO428/s1600/Sherlene+Ayala+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_RlItEHIPAznxM0eELBKKgtVVpuP64Bkdw6eWOSPIGs6pVXVSrNncVRGQkm74bsU5Zgd6I9gUYdXC5iaY6putcY3QhGYeAD8AP23mIsaLo76zUZOJPFXRblIJ96dx5MfNDOdRRCO428/s200/Sherlene+Ayala+Collage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherlene Ayala: Doctoral Student and Emerging Scholar</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sherlene Ayala shares:</span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Angry Latina with a Balancing Act and an Added Dose
of Microaggressions</span></i></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I enter my fifth semester
as a doctoral student, I still struggle with making this work for me.
There are times when I feel like I am losing my mind. I didn't get the memo on
how to make this enormous responsibility fit in with the rest of my life. I can
barely get myself looking decent these days; the thought of hanging out with
friends seems like a daunting task, and when my partner reminds me that I am
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diversity programming and training. I struggle with making this exhausting role
appear simple. I'm expected to manage my emotions, not take anything personal
and ensure that I make others comfortable while I broach the topic of diversity.
How can I do this when most of my time spent is reading and writing about
institutional racism? How can I disconnect myself from a literature that speaks
strongly to my experiences and names my day to day struggle? Why should I
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posted on Facebook, "I’m fighting microaggressions one day at a time"
and it reminded me about my conversation with a White student, who holds a
significant leadership role on campus. He told me very bluntly that our school
should only hire "American speaking faculty." I can’t blame him for
thinking this way when a colleague a few weeks earlier told me a Senior
Student Affairs Officer of Color was hired not because she was qualified with
a doctoral degree, but because of affirmative action requirements. These
racist and negative messages are pervasive.</span></i></div>
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yet preach that they “get it.” I smirk in amusement as they talk about the “softer”
topics such as gender issues, disability and Hurricane Sandy - the storm that
destroyed their vacation home on the Jersey Shore. These are our future
leaders of America who will sit in positions of leadership and go unquestioned
because of their privileged identities.</span></i></div>
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passionate about social justice is a very difficult experience for which I was
unprepared to tackle. In my years of education, not once have I been taught how
to take care of myself in this process. My experiences of always having to
"be on" and face the insults by students, colleagues and classmates
is wearing me down. Navigating this difficult terrain is lonely, and at times
the consequences of tokenism, racism, and stigmatization are psychologically
and emotionally damaging. I sometimes wish I could turn off and tune everyone
out, but it’s that moment when I have a student in my office telling me about
the “N-Word” that was written on a classroom chair that gives me the fuel to
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power to ensure that I am bringing these issues to the table. It is important
to name the experiences of marginalized groups and push society to address inequalities.
And while I may not have the answer to making this doctoral experience less
stressful, and while I may never change someone’s mind about racism, I do know
that with the doctoral degree I can inspire more People of Color to follow. I
can be the one in the front of the classroom bringing real issues to the table.
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around to ironing my blouse for work, or that I forget to get my partner an
anniversary gift, or my birthday consists of sitting in my office with sweat
pants, a sloppy bun and my 3rd cup of coffee, I will do what it takes to get
through this degree. I have to remind myself that there are many people
standing behind me pushing me in this process, and that despite the challenges
that are put in my way, I chose the road less traveled and it WILL make all the
difference!</span></i></div>
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<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-69486066820529506052013-10-20T22:38:00.000-07:002013-10-21T09:08:18.484-07:00Presuming Incompetence: A Hairstyle and a Lesson in Chicago<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uJ7LkMhg0B4HWrI36gKS7SEq_0e8D78WuxKWRZbDotXUEKdJxItscMz97aqYsIXyVDV6kchCzFiFueT1G_6lXzgiZI6O8o7ldX-AOc_OAXCd4hDQ3hkToOrMEVksxOE_Kujb_RmLHT4/s1600/Presumed+Incompetence+Collage+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uJ7LkMhg0B4HWrI36gKS7SEq_0e8D78WuxKWRZbDotXUEKdJxItscMz97aqYsIXyVDV6kchCzFiFueT1G_6lXzgiZI6O8o7ldX-AOc_OAXCd4hDQ3hkToOrMEVksxOE_Kujb_RmLHT4/s320/Presumed+Incompetence+Collage+Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Top - Sofia Pertuz in Chicago with new hairstyle, Bottom Left - Book Cover for Presumed Incompetent, Bottom Right - Sofia Pertuz with book co-editor Carmen G. Gonzalez</i></td></tr>
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<br />
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I have a confession to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I presumed someone incompetent. I felt bad,
took action to reverse that presumption and then I redeemed myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please let me explain. A few weeks ago, I took
a leap of faith with my hair that really made me think about how natural it is
to profile each other based on misconceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was in Chicago attending a conference planning meeting for an
organization in which I have a leadership role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since I got there early I took a walk to get something to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I happened to walk by a beauty school that
offered, “great deals for walk in clients” and I was sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagined my 10 year old daughter laughing and saying,
“Mami, you even got your hair done <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on
sale?</i>” But who could resist a good <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sale?</i></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it would be pretty simple, but
nothing ever is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who knows me
well is aware that I have become my own best hair stylist because I have an
aversion to hair salons since I am usually not too happy with the results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As an Afro-Latina, I have been
blessed with what some would label “Black hair,” but I choose to straighten it with
chemical relaxers (still working up the courage to stop doing that, but that’s
a blog for another day).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing that
gave me the nerve to walk in was seeing in the window that most of the hair
stylists in training appeared to be African American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can go wrong if Black women are handling
my Black hair? So in I went to ask how much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The price was right, but can I really consider signing a waiver (yikes!) to allow a stylist
in training to work on my hair?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I walked out not really sure if I could really go through with it. </span>I even called
in support from my husband who has entertained many a hair salon worry
conversation with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He encouraged me
to take a chance, so that’s what I did and I went back to the beauty school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So here is when I admit to my
shameful presumption of incompetence of another human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took one look at the young White woman who
was introduced to me as my stylist and almost ran out. Yes, I am ashamed to
admit that in that moment, I completely profiled her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on my biased outlook, I was convinced
that a White woman would not know how to handle Black hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then I stopped myself and had an inner
dialogue (more like an argument) about how I suspect that I have been profiled
in many instances, especially in academia and how much I hate the thought of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reminded myself how I really wish we could
live in a world that could function with courage, hope and openness to move
past stereotypes and preconceived notions and give each other the benefit of
the doubt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also knew that if someone
in the same situation called me, I would tell that person to stop being silly
and to give this young White woman a chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How is she going to learn the complexity and intricacies of Black
women’s hair if she does not get the experience to handle it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This situation reminded me of a
book I read that was recently published titled, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Presumed-Incompetent-Intersections-Class-Academia/dp/0874219221" target="_blank">Presumed Incompetent: the Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia</a> </i>edited by Gabriella Gutierrez y Muhs, Yolanda Flores Niemann, Carmen
G. Gonzalez and Angela P. Harris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
excellent book is a collection of stories from brave women in academia who
share experiences about how because of their identities, they had been underestimated,
insulted, belittled, doubted, denied tenure, and the list goes on. Women of color in higher education have been trying to successfully work against stereotypes
and have been and will continue to do great things despite being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">presumed incompetent</i>. I had the pleasure
of meeting Carmen G. Gonzalez when I attended her presentation at Columbia
University (see picture above) and it is clear that we have a long way to go,
but exposing some of these heinous situations has been a start to bringing
awareness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
So back to the hair - I took a deep
breath and signed the waiver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two hours
later, I was glad I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stylist in
training did a fantastic job on my hair and in the process (no pun intended) we had a great chat
about life, following your passions and taking active steps to realize your
goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This young lady had moved to
Chicago from Michigan and left her planned college path to pursue a cosmetology
degree and license. Despite her family’s disapproval, her dream is to open her
own salon one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were having such a
pleasant conversation that I didn’t even get upset when she admitted to me that
mine was the first human head on which she was able to practice her hair
relaxing skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so impressed by
her bravery and thought about the times I held myself back from following my
dreams because I thought others around me might not approve. It turned out to
be an unexpectedly affirming day. Not only did I get a nice hairstyle, I also
received lessons in keeping my mind open, actively working against presuming
incompetence and taking risks to follow your dreams. Not bad for a day in the windy city. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-41712384966462685052013-10-06T18:17:00.001-07:002013-10-06T18:17:06.097-07:00Guest Blogger Cindy Bautista-Thomas: Emerging Scholar Starting with Getting a Ph.D!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzR25zm1XJTH6nT5TU5Qx1kZJcCK5jEw-WwIUx4A2vYkLg6L7NK4PIWsJ2BwRAZwoOKzPL0V96IW0aYP216tBS0dyDnqMugFn2eKk1ZtqTrUFDmahynPxT4aOVrMOAqmZVnnsD1KtzHpA/s1600/Cindy+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzR25zm1XJTH6nT5TU5Qx1kZJcCK5jEw-WwIUx4A2vYkLg6L7NK4PIWsJ2BwRAZwoOKzPL0V96IW0aYP216tBS0dyDnqMugFn2eKk1ZtqTrUFDmahynPxT4aOVrMOAqmZVnnsD1KtzHpA/s1600/Cindy+Collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top left: Cindy Bautista-Thomas, Top right: Cindy & her children, Bottom left: Sisters Cindy & Sofia, Bottom right: Cindy & husband Winston</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few blog entries ago, titled <a href="http://doctoralatina.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-courage-to-restart-and-recommit.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Courage to Restart and Recommit</i></b></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>I shared my admiration
and pride in my sister’s courage to embark on some new beginnings, including a
second marriage and a Ph.D. program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am so excited for her and was curious to know how things were going for her so
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was gracious enough to share
her thoughts about her first five weeks in her doctoral program. Please read and
help me send her positive energy as she continues her journey to be Doctora
Cindy Bautista-Thomas and an early happy birthday too. Pa’lante hermanita! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My First Five Weeks
in a Ph.D. Program by Cindy Bautista-Thomas </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This week marks five
weeks of being a doctoral student. Today I had my first meeting with my advisor
who happens to be a dynamite Latina who is a powerhouse in the area that I am
interested in exploring further: emergent bilinguals and academic outcomes.
Before the meeting I went to her website (yes, she has her own website!) and
read up on her current research and perused a few of her articles. I wanted to
be prepared in case she asked me a question about her research. During our
meeting she didn't ask about the research but did ask me how I was doing and
how I was managing it all. I shared with her my joys and challenges of the
program so far and she related to my experiences as a doctoral student with
many layers. She provided encouragement and gave me suggestions of who to
network within and out of the program. I felt invigorated after our meeting.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When I got accepted
into the program it was she who sent me the email at <span class="aqj"><span data-term="goog_142030183" tabindex="0">10 o'clock</span></span> at night. A day
later she asked me to start reading some of her work as she hoped that she and
I would write articles together!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write
an article together? Was she sure that she was writing to the right doctoral
candidate? And there began my short lived self doubt journey. I sat in my
classes, prepared with notes from my readings and often froze in my seat. I
wondered if what I had to say was smart enough or important enough to
contribute to the discourse taking place. It was my sister Sofia who reminded
me that I was smart enough, good enough and had gotten accepted into the
program due to my own merit.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As I spoke with other
Latina doctoral students I realized that what I had experienced was quite
common for students of color and decided right then and there that when I had
something to contribute that I would do so, con orgullo y seguridad!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Juggling a full time
job, three children, a husband and a doctoral program is not for the weak and
weary. I look to my family and God for support and would not be able to do this
otherwise. While it hasn't been easy declining social gatherings with friends
and family, I have found it challenging to balance it all. It's a work in
progress! With a birthday right around the corner I am grateful and blessed for
another year of discovering myself.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-46012577710076100752013-09-15T12:02:00.000-07:002013-09-15T19:47:25.321-07:00Not to be Frozen Out! Latinas Belong in Academia<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> This
week I had a disturbing conversation with a brilliant young Latina who just
graduated from college. She was almost in tears recounting interactions she recently
had with two White women to whom she was reaching out regarding her desire to
apply to law school. Although neither of
them directly told her that they did not believe she was capable of getting
admitted to and completing law school, they were not friendly or encouraging
either. One of them handed her the
admission information carelessly and barely explained the process when asked. The other woman had been a supervisor of this
Latina for an internship and did not share any words of encouragement either
and was actually quite standoffish, which the Latina found odd considering she
had worked with her closely for quite some time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> These
interactions seemed harmless and I guess we should not expect warm interactions
from people we hardly know in academia, but this young Latina sat in sadness explaining
that she had a “feeling” that she might have been treated poorly because she was
Latina. She wondered if maybe it was her
Spanish accent or that they thought because she was Latina she would not do
well on the LSAT. I wish I could have told her positively that these were not
reasons for their lack of encouragement.
I also assured her that her feelings were valid and that she was not
imagining this “cold” treatment that seemed to want to freeze her out of academia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> What
upset me the most about her story was that I know how highly competent this
Latina is and how much potential she has for changing the world. During her
undergraduate years I had the pleasure of watching her grow in her leadership,
confidence and scholarship, having written an excellent senior thesis comparing
Latin American and Middle Eastern women. It makes me angry that
these White women do not realize that to this young Latina, they represent
authority figures in academia who with their indifferent interactions, made her
feel like she did not belong in an advanced degree program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> This
young Latina’s story really touched me in a way I did not realize until I got
home. It reminded me of a White male
dean at my graduate institution who made me feel the same way about my
potential success in a Ph.D. program. Many
years ago, when I was about to complete my Master’s degree, I liked my faculty
so much, that I decided to stay at the same university for the Ph.D. I went over to the main office to ask for an
application and information about admission.
This dean was the only person in the office and smiled at me curiously when
I asked him to please let me know the process to apply for the Ph.D. program.
Without asking me for my academic background or credentials, he said to me,
“you know it’s really difficult to get into a Ph.D. program. You shouldn’t set yourself up for
disappointment.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I
did not know what to say. I just froze
and took the paperwork that he was reluctantly handing me with the admission
information. I wish I could have told
him how I graduated from college in three years with the honor of cum laude and
senior leadership awards. I wish I had
the courage to tell him that I was about to complete my Master’s degree at that
same institution with a 3.9 GPA and that more than half my courses were already
doctoral classes. Would that have
changed his perception of what a potential Ph.D. student looks like? Maybe.
Maybe not. All I know is that I was so upset, I went back to my
apartment and completed the application, personal statement and sent out the
requests for recommendations that same night.
I not only got into the program, but completed all of the coursework and
passed the comprehensive exams and my GPA is still a 3.9 as I continue to work
on my dissertation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Unfortunately,
I almost allowed that one White male dean to fill me with self-doubt and taint
my whole experience at a wonderful institution that has taken great care of me
as an employee, student and scholar. He was wrong in how he treated me and with
his discouraging words almost froze me out of academia and an advanced degree.
However, since I am a Libra, I have to balance out that bad interaction with
the overall amazing experience I had with a very encouraging and nurturing
faculty at my graduate institution, for which I have a special love and
affection. When I am on that campus I
feel like I am home, which was true at one time since I actually lived on
campus when I worked there in Residence Life.
Just as there are individuals in the academic pathway who may cause
Latinas to doubt their presence in academia, thankfully, there are more
individuals who believe in us and participate actively in ensuring our success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I want the brilliant Latina I mentioned in the
introduction to know that the women who treated her so coldly are also wrong. I am positive that not only will she get into
law school and find many supporters, she will be successful in completing her
J.D. and she will go on to do great things – like she is already doing! Pa’ lante hermanita!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-89793526736675145962013-09-02T16:34:00.000-07:002013-09-02T16:57:50.512-07:00The Doctoral Journey and the Mind and Body Connection<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEacoqvU9Vnx1zMOTePls4FKkwRfkZQRw4mISE520b58IW2Z0n6HXV6At0PplIC1URxpvtZo0lBa6bRy9kjvlddbNEWG-PbdvVOQndXoQQc4tAtXTdE1umXfBDU7pcvAFewjht5efg_vY/s1600/Mind+Body+Connection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEacoqvU9Vnx1zMOTePls4FKkwRfkZQRw4mISE520b58IW2Z0n6HXV6At0PplIC1URxpvtZo0lBa6bRy9kjvlddbNEWG-PbdvVOQndXoQQc4tAtXTdE1umXfBDU7pcvAFewjht5efg_vY/s320/Mind+Body+Connection.png" width="237" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In four
years I lost 50 pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people who
haven’t seen me in a while notice something different about me and
interestingly, the weight loss is not the thing they comment on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard the following phrases from many
people, “you look peaceful” or “you look balanced.” They also ask me, “what
have you been doing to look so radiant?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seems like such a simple question, and
the simple answer is: I have been working on loving myself from the inside out
and I truly believe that it’s all connected – mind and body connection and achieving
your goals.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If I had
more time to explain, I would give them the more complicated answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first answer involves putting physical
activity into my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started taking
Tae Kwon Do classes along with my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My husband and 10 year old daughter are Black Belts and my 5 1/2 year
old son (he insists on adding the half since his birthday is coming up soon) is
a purple belt first stripe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My current
level is red belt first stripe, which I am very proud of and above I share a picture
of me breaking a board with a back spinning hook kick (yeah!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never in a million years did I think I would
(1) be capable of doing martial arts and (2) find the time to take Tae Kwon Do
classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also started doing Bikram
Yoga (Hot Yoga) which is a form of yoga taken in a 90 minute class with 105
degrees of heat while you sweat and stare at yourself in a mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is way more “me time” than I ever
thought I would need, but what I found in these two activities were strength, balance
and of course, a mind and body connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily, I don’t have any yoga pictures to post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Every
week my body does things that amaze me and I think that pride in my body has
trickled over to how I feel about my mind. This is the second answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured out how to put the attention into
my body that I must have previously felt I did not deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loving myself more made me more conscious
about my food choices, my alcohol intake, how I spend my time and with whom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also helped me to find my inner scholar
and remind myself of all of my achievements that are evidence that I am capable
of doing the rigorous academic work that will help me finish my
dissertation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time, dedication and hard
work are all it takes and I can do that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The truth
of the matter is that a combination of being a mother and approaching 40 made
me think about the future in a way I had been taking for granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I not only decided that I wanted to be alive
as long as possible for my children and partner, but I also decided that I
wanted the best future available to me and for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where the dissertation comes in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was in this journey to a better mind and
body connection that I realized that finishing the doctorate had to be part of
that plan. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Another feature
about joining these two activities that is important to note are the people who
help to guide the journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Master Ho Lee
is my Tae Kwon Do instructor who reminds me that your body is a work in
progress and you have to dedicate yourself to see improvements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Hot Yoga Yonkers studio I go to has many
instructors who remind me that you have love yourself as you are and be
grateful for what your body and mind can do for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dissertation journey is also full of people who are there for support and I am grateful to my family, my dissertation committee and my fellow doctoral candidates who have been cheering me on and believing in me.
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So in
the end, it wasn’t what I lost that matters, though, I’m not going to lie – I don’t
miss those 50 pounds one bit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is what
I gained in this process that has improved my skin and body, and strengthened my
mind and brought me to love myself as I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have realized that my body is nothing but an instrument to carry out
my life’s mission, which I am constantly trying to figure out like the rest of
us. The difference is I now cherish every moment, enjoying the journey itself
while I move closer to all of my personal and professional goals.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I know I
went off the dissertation path a bit with this blog entry, but I guess I made the
case in my first paragraph when I stated: “it’s all connected – mind and body
connections and achieving your goals.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-78086671165038783152013-08-18T21:01:00.000-07:002013-08-18T21:08:15.694-07:00Guest Blogger: Dr. Nelly Cardinale's Dissertation Defense StoryEarlier this year, I attended a dissertation defense for a classmate in my
doctoral program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was curious about
what it would be like when I get to that stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since I am not there yet, I am always excited for anyone in a doctoral
program who has scheduled a defense because that means they are almost done!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that last step still has to be overcome
and from a distance it seems scary, but then again, we sometimes fear what we
don’t know much about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The defense I
attended was actually very interesting and definitely not scary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will make it my mission to attend a few dissertation
defenses and ask some of my colleagues about their experiences to be as
prepared as possible and actually look forward to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One new friend has graciously agreed to share
her defense day story on my blog and I am so grateful to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the more we hear about these stories,
the less scary they become and then they are just <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">another step in the process to become
Doctora.</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>What struck me most
about her story is the support that her fellow doctoral students gave her,
proving how important peer support is for this doctoral journey.<br />
<br />
I am proud of Dr. Nelly Cardinale who is also featured in the Galeria de
Doctoras Latinas in case you want to learn more about her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you enjoy her
wonderful story:<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My Dissertation Defense Day by Dr.
Nelly Cardinale</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwguzMvz8_H7TCawUWhmi6NaJFFee6g2TOEXhzFmMwK6kwv-Cq0U1nwznxmMEYdevQK4cPk7YAfJF0n57jPPJGj_oEL7zbkV8fhM1qz2a07FZQ2AmIB1JQhLqGuf26PW3u5K0wdr5ihI/s1600/Nelly+Cardinale+by+the+Northeastern+Sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwguzMvz8_H7TCawUWhmi6NaJFFee6g2TOEXhzFmMwK6kwv-Cq0U1nwznxmMEYdevQK4cPk7YAfJF0n57jPPJGj_oEL7zbkV8fhM1qz2a07FZQ2AmIB1JQhLqGuf26PW3u5K0wdr5ihI/s200/Nelly+Cardinale+by+the+Northeastern+Sign.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Nelly Cardinale at Northeaster University </b><br />
<b>ready for her dissertation defense!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I woke up feeling very nervous on June
10th, 2013. I intended to fly to Boston that day because I was scheduled to
defend my dissertation at Northeastern University the next day. A doctoral
student friend who lives in the Boston area came to pick me up at the airport,
took me out to dinner, shopping for new sunglasses and then drove me to my
hotel. She then took me to the drug store when I noticed that I forgot to pack
my makeup. Lucky for me, the drug store had the colors I needed. She wished me
luck during the defense and left. She, along with many other people logged in
to watch my defense live the next day as it was live-streamed.</i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Later that night at around 9:00pm,
another doctoral student friend who had driven to Boston earlier from Vermont
and was currently at the university library working on a doctoral class
assignment texted me. As preplanned, she checked into the same hotel that I was
in with the intention of spending the dissertation day with me and offering me
moral support during the defense stage. She quickly came down to my room to
meet me in person for the first time. </i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It was great meeting her since we had
become online friends from the time I was waiting for an admission decision
from Northeastern University. It turns out that we both started the doctoral
program at the same time and in the same class. Since then, we have been good
friends and classmates in a few other classes together. We talked for a while
and agreed to meet the next morning. </i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The next day, we met at around 10:00am
and had a quick breakfast. We returned to our hotel rooms to rest for a while.
I wanted to change clothing and put on the new attire that I bought for the
event. After, we drove to the university, walked around, took pictures in front
of different buildings and looked for the building where the defense would take
place. We also visited the college bookstore and bought some college gear. The defense
was scheduled for 1:00pm. I was getting very nervous and did not want to eat
lunch before the defense, as I felt that I would get an upset stomach.</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finally, we found out that the defense
building was located off the main campus. Therefore, we left the main campus
and headed for the defense location. Just before I was about to walk inside the
building, a tourist asked us for directions. The man turned out to be a
Methodist minister who was visiting from Washington DC. Coincidently, my friend
just happened to also practice the same religion and quickly told him that I
was about to become a doctor. Surprisingly, he stated that if this was the
case, then I needed a blessing and gave me one right then and there. This
raised my confidence level and eased my anxiety. </i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My friend and I walked into the
defense room and met my advisor and second reader for the first time. I had
seen them during summer residency sessions but never introduced myself before.
I used my advisor's computer to project the PowerPoint defense presentation.
The system used to live-stream the defense was the GOTOMEETING platform. This
system allows many online people to participate in the meeting. The system also
allowed the third member of my committee to attend my defense remotely from
Pennsylvania. As preplanned, two other doctoral student friends who live in the
Boston area arrived in person in order to provide additional moral support
during the process. Many other doctoral students in the program, as well as my
husband and sons, also logged in to watch my defense live.</i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I was allowed 20 minutes to present
what my dissertation was about. Afterwards, the second and third readers took
turns asking me questions about my study for the next 40 minutes. However, they
ran out of questions before their allotted time and then my advisor asked the
audience if they had questions. One of my friends inside the defense room did
have a few questions for me. My advisor was not allowed to ask any questions
during the defense. After the hour was up, my friends and I were asked to leave
the room and all online viewers except for the third member of my committee
were disconnected. The committee would meet in private for around 10 minutes to
discuss my fate. The local Boston friends hugged me, wished me luck and left. </i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My friend from Vermont and I started
to pace the hallway the way expectant fathers do. I was really feeling nervous
and was not sure what would happen next. Finally, my advisor opened the door
and called me back in. She stated that she had good news: I had passed my
defense and was now a new doctor! I was so happy. I hugged my advisor and the
second reader and asked if I can take pictures with them. </i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My friend and I went out to eat lunch,
but again I was just so emotional that I decided to only have a drink to
celebrate. She then walked me to the nearest metro station where we both rode a
train to the airport. We hugged and said our goodbyes. </i><br />
<br />
<span class="null"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When I returned to
Florida, my husband and sons had a surprise for me. It was a delicious
chocolate cake that said, "Congratulations Dr. Mom".</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzy_yNkOPQGCqijyp2HTOyHExIEWYFrJaLgmcRtuUmnKBBo6TsHva1HLRwpNwY5tvToC3OPHn3L-fdQgKdJky7z9doGpjP1J69v7Joa9rfbNwheWPTF7oCk1gaZjP2xJohuQZvHi1twcs/s1600/Nelly+Grouping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzy_yNkOPQGCqijyp2HTOyHExIEWYFrJaLgmcRtuUmnKBBo6TsHva1HLRwpNwY5tvToC3OPHn3L-fdQgKdJky7z9doGpjP1J69v7Joa9rfbNwheWPTF7oCk1gaZjP2xJohuQZvHi1twcs/s320/Nelly+Grouping.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-82114427609032787042013-08-11T17:39:00.006-07:002013-08-11T17:39:53.643-07:00The Courage to Restart and Recommit<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I85cqF1v3mOonM1Uw9P31vlag0qWyK_M9z5JRpN5NeowpxT7D7LI01CWmxLs5hlllI0uyc_7mvAi2JX97XSOqCIe5TwE96kFntb9sg-jsrQvpG8vZRWJgA45LRDlZ44taTr2m5fbfy4/s1600/Cindy+and+Winston+Wedding+Collage.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I85cqF1v3mOonM1Uw9P31vlag0qWyK_M9z5JRpN5NeowpxT7D7LI01CWmxLs5hlllI0uyc_7mvAi2JX97XSOqCIe5TwE96kFntb9sg-jsrQvpG8vZRWJgA45LRDlZ44taTr2m5fbfy4/s200/Cindy+and+Winston+Wedding+Collage.PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy and Winston's Wedding Day ~ July 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Recently, I had the privilege of attending my sister
Cindy’s second wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched the
ceremony with deep admiration for my sister’s courage to restart and recommit
to marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am also proud of her
because she is about to begin a new educational journey in a Ph.D. program in
Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. Committing to all of these new beginnings, she is very courageous indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These new milestones my sister is experiencing made
me reflect on my stops and starts with many of my life happenings, especially
my dissertation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember having moments
when I said to myself, “I quit!” and moved on with my life free of the thought
of an unfinished Ph.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As David Madsen quips
in his helpful book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Successful
Dissertations and Theses,</i> I would be joining the “Shubert Society,” a reference
to the composer’s Symphony No. 8in B Minor, the “Unfinished.”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I actually thought quitting would be easy, but as it
turned out, that was not the case. I had daily thoughts nagging away at me: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I really going to walk away from this
lifelong goal? What about all those classes I took, pages read, assignments completed
and comprehensive exams passed? Did I really want to be another ABD? </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I even went as far as to consider what being ABD
would look like on my resume: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would it
signal to potential employers that I am a quitter or that I don’t know how to finish
what I started? Do I just leave it off altogether? </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year I took a deep breath and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>I made a major decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no, I did not want to continue being ABD</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what did I do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mustered up the courage, energy and
determination to restart and recommit to working on the dissertation, the last
step in the doctoral process. Since then, the revisions and updates have felt
like ongoing restarts as I continue to get feedback and narrow my topic to a “doable”
scope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not an easy task, but
what keeps me going is regularly meeting some amazing Doctoras Latinas who remind
me it is DOABLE! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today I celebrate my sister and her husband's union
and I wish them a life of love and happiness as they blend their beautiful
families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also celebrate myself and
anyone else who is struggling with the doctoral process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is clear to me from the Facebook group of
Latinas Completing Doctoral Degrees (</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">)
that there are plenty of Latinas who are not only moving through the process,
but have actually earned the degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is inspiring for us all and I hope this network will continue to
support each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep in my mind
the words that my colleague and fellow Latina doctoral student, Omayra
Arocho, signed off on a recent email, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pa'
Lante</i>!”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-13917642176325199192013-07-22T10:06:00.003-07:002013-07-22T10:06:58.661-07:00Ordinary Workday, Extraordinary Encounter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiANDlI9z7aMXRy4sFVTni1BASOmI5OCaO2VpXhz-r4U45P_OurY1x9j2RuttxruhCERVWZ76flULHkvXMcN7vsX2Dyhx5Ngl9te_VaBZeMKe-3PyJFEjjUt_e1iwHGbsV-_9Ii0K2KI/s1600/Sofia+and+Justice+Sotomayor+July+2013+PNG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiANDlI9z7aMXRy4sFVTni1BASOmI5OCaO2VpXhz-r4U45P_OurY1x9j2RuttxruhCERVWZ76flULHkvXMcN7vsX2Dyhx5Ngl9te_VaBZeMKe-3PyJFEjjUt_e1iwHGbsV-_9Ii0K2KI/s320/Sofia+and+Justice+Sotomayor+July+2013+PNG.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Sofia Bautista Pertuz at Fordham University</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week I had an
extraordinary encounter on an ordinary workday. As I was walking from my office
to the restroom, one of my colleagues stopped me to ask if I knew that Supreme
Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was in the building where I work. In disbelief I
ran to the location and asked if I could meet her. It was one of the most marvelous
few minutes of my life. Not since meeting Mother Teresa as a teenager, have I
met someone who has so profoundly inspired so many people by her leadership. This
was an exciting opportunity to tell her in person how much I loved her book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My Beloved World. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite lines right at the
beginning in her preface highlights what a humble leader Justice Sotomayor is
when she explains the measure of vulnerability that comes with her choice to
share intimately about her personal life: “There are hazards to openness, but
they seem minor compared with the possibility that some readers may find
comfort, perhaps even inspiration, from a close examination of how an ordinary
person, with strengths and weaknesses like anyone else, has managed an
extraordinary journey.”</span>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
what does this have to do with my dissertation and Latinas completing doctoral
degrees? Not much, except that not so long ago, I was upset with myself for
taking precious time away from dissertation reading to read her book. The guilt
was tremendous, but I needed some inspiration and I found it in her memoir,
which really turns out to be a leadership book if you read carefully and find
the golden nuggets of life lessons in her personal and professional
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This shows that sometimes it's
okay to take a break and read something else that inspires you beyond the
articles you read for your own writing. Her life lessons and commentary about
academia especially, were just as useful, gave me as much motivation and was
time well spent. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
yes, I did tell her that I was working on my dissertation and that I was a
doctoral student in addition to being a higher education administrator. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was very encouraging and supportive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, now that I told her that I was going
to finish and earn my doctorate, this means I have to do exactly that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I don’t, then I would feel like I was
lying to her and you do not lie to a Supreme Court Justice, or any judge for
that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wouldn’t that be like perjury?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that we were not in the court of law,
but I'm going to just pretend that if I don't finish, then I would be guilty of
perjury and no one wants to be accused of that, especially not me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Therefore,
I will continue my journey with hard work as Justice Sotomayor put in to get
where she is and with the support of my network and community that I appreciate
so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a big key to her
success that she constantly stressed in her book – the people who helped her
along the way to get where is she is right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hope the Facebook group I started recently helps to create this much
needed network for all Latinas in this journey to consider, complete, or
celebrate doctoral degrees:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>https://www.facebook.com/groups/LatinasCompletingDoctoralDegrees/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I am a proud (and working on being a wise)
Latina! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneUuiVUoTYLE0ZYpm_biYp_q83mefyndr0-0bOp8gnFbYMXHSKifVsxXDBxbaZvBy_2NR4XiNYnecdO6nKxELgnSe_wEgaIa5tRJmg-C3U-ALBroNsNdjFinn_ap4gU-qFDPMkSeszH8/s1600/Sofia+by+the+Hagia+Sophia+in+Istanbul,+Turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneUuiVUoTYLE0ZYpm_biYp_q83mefyndr0-0bOp8gnFbYMXHSKifVsxXDBxbaZvBy_2NR4XiNYnecdO6nKxELgnSe_wEgaIa5tRJmg-C3U-ALBroNsNdjFinn_ap4gU-qFDPMkSeszH8/s320/Sofia+by+the+Hagia+Sophia+in+Istanbul,+Turkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofia by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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As I packed recently for a ten day trip to Turkey, I
dedicated one carry-on bag to a few (okay, maybe more than a few) books I
needed to read for my dissertation literature review. My husband looked at me
incredulously and asked, “are you really going to read those on this trip?” I
said, “of course!” I was actually not sure, but I put the intention out in the universe hoping I would find the motivation and energy.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an amazing
cross-county excursion with jam-packed days of touring major sights in
Istanbul, Izmir, Cappadocia, Konya, Ephesus, and Urfa<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> and
yet, at the end of each day and long van rides, somehow I did find the energy
to focus for a bit to read and write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One very opportune day came when we took a 10 hour bus ride that was
supposed to be 7 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this was
one occasion when I would have no choice but to sit for hours. In her excellent
book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen
Minutes a Day</i>, Joan Bolker shared that when she worked at Harvard’s Writing
Center they joked “that the single most useful piece of equipment for a writer was a bucket of
glue. First you spread some on your chair, and then you sit down.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What better glue than to be on a moving bus for
hours?</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although some of
my travel companions were not happy about this long ride, I was ecstatic! When
you have a busy work and home life with 2 small children and an aging parent to
attend to, there is no such thing as being able to sit for so many hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am grateful
to Turkey for not only giving me the best 10 hour sit down and focus
opportunity, but also for the amazing food, historical perspective and an eye
opening experience that proved to me that there is no such thing as “mainstream
media” reporting only violence and protests in Turkey and not the regular,
friendly, and peaceful day to day life that I actually experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort
zone, travel and see things for yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I came back to the U.S. a better person with inspiration and many more
pages toward a dissertation completed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in my terrible
Turkish accent, “Türkiye Teşekkür ederim!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>- translation: “Thank You Turkey!”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-46902123277781160952013-06-16T12:32:00.002-07:002013-06-16T13:15:59.919-07:00“Que Bien”: Why My Father Would Say This Dissertation is Not a Big Deal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwHedBQTLBVtTkgucJdONeSh1p2QxOH2TBAKDwAte-F815eVPHJ_EtidJDj5ZJ3m1EuO5LTbcq_ARuTGKZ0w2w63NPKXtXQd9_-Mo2vfn6eUHGlMFE2Ic6yH3Xppg9Rg40XwozLhuRpc/s1600/Sofia+&+Baudilio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwHedBQTLBVtTkgucJdONeSh1p2QxOH2TBAKDwAte-F815eVPHJ_EtidJDj5ZJ3m1EuO5LTbcq_ARuTGKZ0w2w63NPKXtXQd9_-Mo2vfn6eUHGlMFE2Ic6yH3Xppg9Rg40XwozLhuRpc/s1600/Sofia+&+Baudilio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whenever
my siblings and I brought home A's and awards my late father usually had only 2
words of acknowledgment: "que bien." Translation:"that's good,
but not really a big deal." I used to be puzzled and frustrated about this
lackluster response because I would watch my friends get so much enthusiasm,
praise and sometimes money for their achievements. Well that was not going to
happen in our household. Aside from us not having any extra money for that, my
father and my mother had high expectations for us and when we met them, they
let us know our achievements were their own reward. It took me a while to learn
that they were teaching us self-efficacy. As Ron Alsop shared in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trophy Kids Grow Up, </i>these days it seems
like kids are getting trophies for just showing up, which was definitely not
enough in the Bautista home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
I was in high school I remember seeing someone’s name with a Ph.D. at the end
and I asked one of my teachers what that meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She said something about that being a set of letters someone gets when
they have reached the highest level of education in an area of study. The way
she said it also told me that this person was also well regarded and respected.
I decided then that I wanted to be all of those things some day, so getting a
doctorate became a definite goal to be achieved. There was nothing
about that notion that seemed implausible for me. I think my parents instilled in
me that kind of high expectation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
should be able to do what I want as long as I work hard and follow the
necessary steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
here I am in the final step of earning those letters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set high expectations for yourself and meet
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No big deal, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well…I wish it was that easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how strong your foundation is
sometimes there are other forces that try to interfere with your dreams:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the
strange looks from those who seem to be surprised that a Latina is working on
getting a doctorate, as if somehow the idea of Latinas and Ph.D.s don’t seem to
match</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the
bleak statistics that in 2006-2007 only 3.8 % of Latinas have earned doctorates
compared to 61.9% of White women (source: http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/713/documents/LatinaUnderrep.pdf
)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and
finally, your own “stuff” and self-doubt that creeps in when you see others who
seem to achieve this goal effortlessly (and quickly) </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So
for Father's Day, I honor my father’s memory by remembering the wonderful
ways that he influenced me and my siblings. Although he left us too soon, he
left behind 7 confident, capable and high achieving individuals who are positively contributing to society in a variety of ways and will continue to do so.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
will also keep reminding myself that this dissertation is NOT A BIG DEAL. It’s
just another step towards earning my doctorate that requires hard work and
dedication. I often imagine my dad smiling down from the heavens at my
graduation saying, “que bien.” He would expect nothing less from one of his Bautista
girls.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12374168597858059494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-12744878756478533652013-06-02T17:59:00.001-07:002013-06-02T18:10:44.810-07:00Dissertation Motivation from the Mouths of Babes: By Guest Bloggers Ariana and Joaquin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf8CjxR8Wtdb1EVhOc0aGfzSgDgevsbJd5_HWTrp8kzmkNOBhHbqRC4OT7LySGEFZKdr16eZSLlzGp2DBOdLz30WhBM5qvkdwvhLZzeDL6COnfi6l5G5zO2RMQF3_Fh-k_3gl-GAhIQ/s1600/Ariana+and+Joaquin+with+Mami+Sofia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf8CjxR8Wtdb1EVhOc0aGfzSgDgevsbJd5_HWTrp8kzmkNOBhHbqRC4OT7LySGEFZKdr16eZSLlzGp2DBOdLz30WhBM5qvkdwvhLZzeDL6COnfi6l5G5zO2RMQF3_Fh-k_3gl-GAhIQ/s320/Ariana+and+Joaquin+with+Mami+Sofia.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joaquin, Sofia and Ariana at the Park - Photo by Antonio Pertuz, <a href="http://www.latinationdesigns.com/">www.latinationdesigns.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I sometimes have to tell my two small children Ariana, age 9 and Joaquin, age 5 that Mami can’t play with them because she is working on her dissertation. The first question my daughter asked was, “what is a discommunication?” I think at first she was just trying to get the word “dissertation” right, but now we joke around about this “discommunication” which seems to fit better than “dissertation,” especially on some days when I feel cut off from regular communications.<br />
<br />
Saying no to my children can be so difficult because I then feel selfish or like I’m missing out. But then I think about how much our family lives will improve when I do earn my doctorate. I also remember that it’s better to be a role model for my children and show them that you can achieve your dreams if you work hard for them and persevere. The biggest lesson of all for me and for them is that there will be moments you have to make difficult choices and sacrifice one thing for another.<br />
<br />
So this blog entry is dedicated to my two children Ariana and Joaquin. I invited them to be my guest bloggers. Ariana, the eldest had her first taste of qualitative research when she interviewed her brother to get his answers to the questions I posed to her. Below they share their perspectives on missing out on play time with their Mami, finishing what you started and achieving your dreams.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What does it feel like when Mami says no, she can’t play because she is working on her dissertation?</b><br />
<i><b>ARIANA:</b> When my mom tells us that she can’t do something for us, it makes me feel a little upset, but I know that she needs to get her work done in order to graduate. And also, we both get a little something out of our mom’s dissertation too. Sometimes our mom pays us to help her with her work when I help her sort her papers and make labels with the labelmaker. Since I am older than Joaquin, I get to do things that would earn me more money like write down the names of authors on a sheet of paper! </i><br />
<i><b>JOAQUIN:</b> I feel sad because Mami has to work and we want her to play with us. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Why is it important that you finish something that you start?</b><br />
<i><b>ARIANA: </b>It is always important to finish something that you start so that you can get it out of the way. When you have to do something that you don’t want to do, then you should just do it early instead of waiting until the last minute because at the last minute you are rushing to do something that you don’t even want to do. </i><br />
<i><b>JOAQUIN: </b>It is important because when you finish something you feel good about it and proud of yourself. </i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How do you think it would feel to achieve a lifelong dream?</b><br />
<i><b>ARIANA:</b> I think it would feel awesome to achieve a lifelong dream. My dream is to be a Lego designer. I know this might seem silly, but I LOVE Legos. I would definitely love any Lego set that anyone shows me. Plus, Legos are also educational. They have to do with science and math. Anyway I would love for this dream to come true. </i><br />
<i><b>JOAQUIN:</b> Good. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Will you call Mami “Dr. Mami” when she is finished?</b><br />
<i><b>ARIANA: </b>This will be the shortest response. I’m just warning you. Sometimes I will, but “Dr. Mami’’ will take longer to say than just regular “Mami.” It’s easier and faster to say. </i><br />
<i><b>JOAQUIN:</b> Yes. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Are you looking forward to going to Mami’s graduation? </b><br />
<i><b>
ARIANA:</b> Yes, because in the car on the way to the graduation we can listen to like 2 hours of Radio Disney and Radio Disney plays all the good kids music. Also, I can’t wait to see my mom graduate! It would be fun to be part of an audience to watch my mom. We would yell, “Go Mami!” so that she can hear us from the audience. </i><br />
<i><b>JOAQUIN:</b> Yes, because I want to be happy and if I go there I would be happy. Mami would be happy too.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-33491983871033274072013-05-19T08:10:00.001-07:002013-05-19T08:10:27.664-07:00Curiosity Killed the Dissertation<div>By the time you get to the dissertation stage of a doctoral program it’s probably safe to say that you love research and discovering new knowledge. You develop a wonderful curiosity that causes you to want to know more about the details and intricacies of a particular subject matter. It’s a beautiful thing that gets you through your doctoral program, but….that same curiosity is what can kill the dissertation. </div><div><br></div><div>This is what it looks like: in good faith you sit down to read one of your landmark articles that seems to specifically address the big issues of your topic. While you’re reading, the author references another author who brought up an even more interesting point. Now you can’t let that resource get away! So what do you do? You open up your web browser on your computer and go to your library page to find that article so that you can “save it for later.” </div><div><br></div><div>But no. That is not to be. </div><div><br></div><div>You get away from your original article and move to the next one that looks so much more intriguing. Then while you read that one, the author references yet another thought-provoking, and of course, relevant article referenced (oh no!) who has an even more compelling point to share about your topic. </div><div><br></div><div>Sigh…2 hours later…you just added another 10 articles to your reference list and never got through the first article that you sat down to read. That’s a shame because guess what? Your time’s up and you are now disappointed with yourself because you know you have to get to your nephew’s 2 hour music recital where you better not even think about pulling out your laptop or iPad to try to read that article. You can’t do that because you would imagine my mother saying "<i>no sea mal educada</i>" - translation, "<i>don't be rude</i>."</div><div><br></div><div>So you realize what you did – or didn’t do. You did not get to jot down those quotable notes you were hoping to incorporate into your dissertation. And the cycle of self-loathing and frustration starts creeping up. But how do you stop it? Is there a way? I say yes!</div><div><br></div><div>Okay. This is what I had to do to stop my curiosity from spiraling out of control. I went to old fashioned pen and paper and SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER!!! It had to be done. My curious nature cannot be trusted and I knew she would sabotage my tidy plan to read and analyze just that one or two articles that I projected would take 1 to 2 hours. </div><div><br></div><div>Sometimes extreme measures need to be taken and you need discipline – not the fun kind like in 50 Shades of Grey, but the kind that needs to be self-inflicted to save that reading (and writing) time. The key is to find ways to stay focused even if you feel like a child being self-disciplined. Hey, you have to do whatever gets you PHINISHED!</div><div><br></div><div>Please feel free to comment and share any other ideas you have for developing good dissertation reading and writing discipline. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-53366377936640415712013-05-12T18:43:00.001-07:002013-05-12T18:45:59.081-07:00Galeria de Doctoras LatinasWe can never underestimate the power of mentorship and guidance from those who accomplish the goals to which we aspire. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I would like to feature some inspiring Latinas who have completed their doctorates, either recently or some time ago. They are proof that it is possible and that hard work and perseverance goes a long way.
So please join me in congratulating Dr. Delmy Lendof, a very good friend and colleague who just completed her doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University. Felicidades Doctora Lendof!!!
Happy Mothers Day to all moms who want to be their best selves for their children. Yes, we can have it all!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-19049539052364775722013-05-07T21:04:00.004-07:002013-05-07T21:04:56.108-07:00Where Does Dissertation Motivation Come From?<span style="font-size: small;">Motivation to do anything can come from many sources. To simplify, psychologists have come up with two kinds that I believe speak <span style="font-size: small;">to wha<span style="font-size: small;">t I <span style="font-size: small;">have <span style="font-size: small;">been thinking about in terms of wh<span style="font-size: small;">ere dissertation writing motivation is comi<span style="font-size: small;">ng<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>from for me</span></span></span></span></span></span>: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. Ryan and Deci (2000) define intrinsic motivation as "the doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable consequence." They say that an intrinsically motivated person "is moved to act for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because of external prods, pressures, or rewards." Yeah right! <span style="font-size: small;">I wish I naturally enjoyed tedi<span style="font-size: small;">ous hours <span style="font-size: small;">of <span style="font-size: small;">reading and analyzing scholarly article<span style="font-size: small;">s. Okay, ma<span style="font-size: small;">ybe I do a little once I get started...but getting started is the problem.</span></span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ryan and Deci (2000) then define extrinsic motivation as "a construct that pertains whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome."</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I think this on<span style="font-size: small;">e sounds more like me.</span> </span>Here is a <a href="http://mmrg.pbworks.com/f/Ryan,+Deci+00.pdf" target="_blank">link</a> to the article by Ryan and Deci that provides further discussion on the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">To try to sort this out for myself and find out which one pulls at me more, I came up with a list of some of the reasons I want to finish this dissertation to earn the elusive doctorate (these are not in any particular order):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want to finish this goal I set for myself</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want my family to be proud</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want my name to have the credentials attached</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want to position myself to advance in my career </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want to get the respect that having a doctorate gets you, especially with faculty and other academics</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want to add to the statistics of Latinas with doctoral degrees </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I want to have a voice for all Latinas</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;">What I discovered when reading this list was that a great deal of my own motivation seems to be mostly extrinsic. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">This means that I need outside motivators to not only
keep me focused, but to give me the continual momentum to prioritize
sitting down and doing the work even when other demands pull at me. </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">After I made the list I reali<span style="font-size: small;">zed that I should have added these to this list of reasons, which would tip my motivation to be more intrinsi<span style="font-size: small;">c</span>:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I want to increase my <span style="font-size: small;">knowl<span style="font-size: small;">edge about the topic I have selected</span></span> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I want my re<span style="font-size: small;">search findings to <span style="font-size: small;">contribute to the body of knowl<span style="font-size: small;">edge</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I want to feel accomplis<span style="font-size: small;">hed that I can conduct sound research</span> </span></span></span></span> </span></span></li>
</ul>
Adding these and several others with more intrinsic motivational value might propel my actions. Oh, if only that were true. Another thing I learned about myself while making these lists and discovering that most of my motivation seems to be extrinsic - outside of myself - is that I need to use this to my advantage. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So what am I doing? I am feeding my need for extrinsic motivation by creating things around me that constantly remind me about what I need to do. I made little signs to post around <span style="font-size: small;">my desk that post my name with the <span style="font-size: small;">"Ph.D." at the end with 2 questions meant to be asked in<span style="font-size: small;"> the morni<span style="font-size: small;">ng <span style="font-size: small;">when I get up and <span style="font-size: small;">at night before I go to sleep: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">AM<span style="font-size: small;"> - What am I going to do <span style="font-size: small;">TODAY to make this ha<span style="font-size: small;">p<span style="font-size: small;">pen?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">PM - What did I do <span style="font-size: small;">TODA<span style="font-size: small;">Y to make this happen<span style="font-size: small;">?</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I alwa<span style="font-size: small;">ys thought posting these kinds of printed affirmations were somewhat corny, but I can't tell you enough<span style="font-size: small;"> how much this visual reminder focuses me and get<span style="font-size: small;">s me thinking and obsessing a<span style="font-size: small;">bout my disser<span style="font-size: small;">tation <span style="font-size: small;">(in a good way of course).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Another thing I did was start this blog. Since I first contemplated and wrote the words in my first post, which actually came some time before I officially posted, I have really stayed focused and have made some great strides. I suddenly put out into the universe publicly that I was on this journey and I invited others to join me. That meant that I had a responsibility to report back my progress and stay on track.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So here is what I did since I wrote my first post:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I rewrote my introduction to be as clear as possible on what my topic is about. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I categorized and organized the articles and books for my literature review into themes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I entered tons of references into my RefWorks online bibliography database.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I updated my completion timeline to reflect the pace at which I plan on working in order to defend in the spring of 2014 and attend graduation in May 2014 (now the pressure is on!!!) </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: small;">I am proud of my progress and will continue to find ways to stay focused and keep my eyes on the "extrinsic" prize. :) One great way I want to stay motivated and share the inspiration is to invite some amazing Latinas who have recently (or not so recently) completed doctoral degrees to share their stories. I will call this the <span style="color: #cc0000;">"Galeria de Doctoras Latinas."</span> <span style="font-size: small;">That section will be<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>coming soon!</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now feel free to share with us what have you been doing to <span style="font-size: small;">work on your doctorate<span style="font-size: small;"> and if <span style="font-size: small;">already fin<span style="font-size: small;">ished, please message me on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiabautistapertuz/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> <span style="font-size: small;">if you want to be featured in t<span style="font-size: small;">he "Galer<span style="font-size: small;">ia."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b> </b></span></span> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627241471765647857.post-66323028461251283002013-04-22T14:46:00.000-07:002013-04-22T14:49:40.127-07:00Join Me in My Journey to be Doctora<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Anyone who has ever been in the process of completing a
dissertation knows what a lonely and frustrating process it is. I started this
blog to not only share my journey while in the midst of it, but also to create
a supportive community of Latinas who are in the same struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
There are other websites that provide
support and resources to doctoral students, but I believe Latinas have a unique
set of circumstances that cause an extra layer of doubt and what many studies
have uncovered as the “imposter syndrome.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hope to list those resources and share them anyway because they do
have lots of valuable information about the process, the mindset and the tools
needed to get through to completion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether
we have always been encouraged to pursue advanced degrees…or not, we still might
share some common feelings of inadequacy, low expectations from society as a
whole and lack of self confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
finally willing to share some of these publicly – actually, some of the public sharing
began thanks to Dr. Angelica Perez-Litwin, founder of both the <a href="http://www.newlatina.net/">www.newlatina.net</a> website and the Ella
Leadership Institute, when I wrote a hopeful reflection piece for the website a few months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the link in case you’re curious: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://newlatina.net/entitlement-is-not-a-dirty-word-a-reflection-on-the-pursuit-of-a-life-well-earned/">http://newlatina.net/entitlement-is-not-a-dirty-word-a-reflection-on-the-pursuit-of-a-life-well-earned/</a></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Every week I will share resources and words of
encouragement. I hope to just “be here” for any Latina
feeling lonely in the doctoral process. I will also ask for words of comfort and support to help motivate me to do something every day to meet this goal. I want every Latina to know that she is not SOLA!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
So join me in this journey, whether you are currently
working on your dissertation or even considering starting a doctoral program and
hopefully while completing this goal myself, we can encourage more and more of
us WISE LATINAS to do the same. </div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
Okay hermanas, let’s do this!!!</div>
<div class="MsoPlainText">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3