Write about Human Rights and Solidarity

I had already been admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) program for education at a university in California when I began to plan the things I would do my dissertation work. I recently passed my Ph. D., qualifying examinations in November, and am currently in the process of formulating my dissertation topic.

It was very challenging because I was exposed to the financial, mental, and physical challenges of research as well as afforded the opportunity to develop my own research interests and scientific “toolbox.” So I took a few days off from my postgraduate studies and did some research from the library and the Internet about the tips or steps for choosing good dissertation topics. No matter where I landed, I knew I wanted to write about human beings, human rights, and human solidarity.

In terms of my own work, I have just begun my dissertation, it focuses on U.S. ethnic novels within a trans-American context and examines fiction as a form of testimony and decolonization. I ended up double majoring in Sociology and Spanish and wrote an honors thesis on the topic of human freedom. My decision to finally apply to graduate school was motivated by my desire to connect theory and research with educational practice.

I will be in a position to not only produce research on the topics to which I feel such a meaningful connection, but also teach and mentor students in ways that will foster their own journeys of intellectual and personal discovery.