I have the incredible fortune of remembering the very first words my Dissertation Chair, Professor Ayanna Thompson, ever spoke to me.
Six years ago, to the chagrin of my parents, I abandoned a career path I found wholly unsatisfying to pursue a Ph.D. in English. I entered my first graduate-level English course, taught by Professor Thompson, as a non-degree graduate student (one with very little background in English studies), scared out of my mind and all too aware of the vast amount of things I did not know. I sat through the first few weeks of class in silence, afraid to utter a word, and entirely overwhelmed by what appeared to me to be a class full of people all smarter than I. This continued on until the night Professor Thompson sat down next to me at the beginning of class, looked me in the eye, smiled, and said, “You are going to speak tonight”. This was not phrased as a question, or as a command, but as a simple statement of fact. I was horrified, both by the knowledge that she had noticed me not speaking and by the prospect of actually having to say something. But you know what? That night in class, I spoke. I do not remember what I said, chances are it was not very profound, but I did find that after speaking up that first time, speaking again was not as scary…
Graduate school may sometimes feel like a solitary activity, but it is not. Making connections and fostering communication is essential to success in all realms of life, especially academics. As Outgoing Co-President of the Graduate Women’s Association (an association, by the way, that Professor Thompson supported from its beginnings) my goal for this year is to continue to grow an organization that I see providing all graduate students a place they can feel free to speak, to ask questions, to gather information, to offer advice, to make connections, and to contribute to intellectual excellence of Arizona State University. I hope that all the Graduate Women’s Association has planned this year—socials, professionalization workshops, invited speakers—help each and every one of you to grow, both as academics and as people.
Professor Thompson helped me find my voice six years ago, and in the following years she has also helped me see that I have something to say. She assisted me in getting into the Ph.D. program, functioned as a mentor during the early years of my studies, shepherded me through my first conference experiences, congratulated my upon my first publication, and now writes recommendation letters for me as I venture out onto the academic job market. So, at the beginning of this academic school year and in my final year of graduate study, if I have any big-picture advice to give other graduate students who are entering into their first years of study, it would be this: find the person or persons who encourage you to speak, and keep them close.
Wishing you all a wonderful and successful 2014-15 school year!