So, my advisor is leaving the U of Wa to teach rhetoric in Alaska, which leaves me in a bit of a pickle. I have been going over many plans/capers in my head over the past few weeks since learning this information. These include: transferring schools, leaving the country immediately, quitting my job, applying for a Fulbright, completing a certificate in non-profit management, and generally...(re-)finding my bliss, which may involve joining some kind of art collective and selling all of my worldly possessions or may just mean focusing down more on what I want out of school and continuing to complete my PhD and eventually working, as I have been intending, in academia--which, to me, translates to never having to feel guilty about lingering over my morning coffee if I so choose. (that was a long sentence)
The Fulbright idea appeals to me, as does the non-profit certificate, in a different way than the degree...I kind of feel like doing something a little more hands-on right now, if that makes any sense. I spend so much time reading, thinking and writing, but so little time actually acting on the ideas I have about education. But I guess in some ways that is what I signed up for...
On a related note, I have been looking for organizations world-wide that I may be able to partner with somehow (whether through a grant-related project or who knows what). Here are a couple that look interesting:
Center for the Study of Social and Global Justice
Alliance for a Media Literate America
That last one is holding a conference in June that I may attend...in St. Louis, where my dad is from...I hear the ambrosia salad is to die for.
That is all for now.
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2 comments:
I think there are a ton of people in Miller who have similar feelings to you. The problem is connecting with them. :(
A bunch of student-led things are going on right now. I'm taking a class called Educators as Intellectuals which is amazingly awesome, helping me rethink education and locate within a broader historical, social context. ESJ and ASCE might be good things to check out...
While I would hate to see you go (we hardly got to know each other!), it is completely understandable. Still, there are people and students who make for great support if you want help meeting some of them. :)
Thank you Mark! I do feel like I might be more inclined to stay if I felt more of a connection to the department.
I have been meaning to attend ESJ and am trying to connect with other students with similar interests...hard to do while working full-time, but even if I go on leave next year I am hoping to attend some reading groups and stay connected in some way.
I definitely think our Digital Literacies group needs to go for a beer after our last meeting this quarter...I am sure those students further along in their Doctoral studies are as good as a resource as any advisor on navigating the department and my studies!
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