My amazing family
Kids and a PhD... What was I thinking?
When I started applying for doctoral programs, I had just learned that I was pregnant with my first child, a beautiful baby boy Cyan born in 2015. I was literally in labor as I received PhD admissions decisions from universities around the country. Taking a great leap of faith only four months after my son was born, I uprooted my new family and moved to Boston to pursue a PhD in Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston. To say that the experience wasn't trying would be a total lie, but the continual support from my family--especially my husband Anthony--propelled me through the challenges and allowed me to pursue my long-term dreams as I learned how to balance my roles as young mother, up-and-coming professional, and now doctoral student.
Upon completing my coursework and receiving two generous grants to complete my dissertation on participatory deliberative democracy in Central America, just in time for the birth of my second child--the lovely lady Sage--in 2018, I had to ask my family to uproot again and risk a 7+ month period of fieldwork abroad. Ever loyal and endlessly supportive of my dreams, my husband quit his job and put his own career and aspirations on hold to join me. Mid-way through our Central American adventure, I cannot be more thankful for the sacrifices made by my husband and my children to allow me to be here.
Cyan and Sage remind me every day that there is more to life than my dissertation. They encourage me to take breaks, get out and see the sites, and appreciate the centrality that family takes in Latin American culture. Through them, I have deepened my relationships in the field, made new local friends, and experienced a side of El Salvador and Guatemala most other researchers would not.
Anthony is my faithful partner, long-distance driver, and sounding-board for my project. When I learn new information in the field, he is there to help me reflect on what it means. If I cannot think of quite the correct way to translate a turn-of-phrase, he listens to my second, third, and fourth iteration until I get it right. When I am tired and feeling defeated, he encourages me to look at the bright side and make the best of our time here.
First and foremost, I want to thank my young and adventurous family for their incredible and endless support. Most people would not dream of attempting a PhD, much less international fieldwork, with children in tow. I could not dream of a better way to achieve this goal for me.
When I started applying for doctoral programs, I had just learned that I was pregnant with my first child, a beautiful baby boy Cyan born in 2015. I was literally in labor as I received PhD admissions decisions from universities around the country. Taking a great leap of faith only four months after my son was born, I uprooted my new family and moved to Boston to pursue a PhD in Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston. To say that the experience wasn't trying would be a total lie, but the continual support from my family--especially my husband Anthony--propelled me through the challenges and allowed me to pursue my long-term dreams as I learned how to balance my roles as young mother, up-and-coming professional, and now doctoral student.
Upon completing my coursework and receiving two generous grants to complete my dissertation on participatory deliberative democracy in Central America, just in time for the birth of my second child--the lovely lady Sage--in 2018, I had to ask my family to uproot again and risk a 7+ month period of fieldwork abroad. Ever loyal and endlessly supportive of my dreams, my husband quit his job and put his own career and aspirations on hold to join me. Mid-way through our Central American adventure, I cannot be more thankful for the sacrifices made by my husband and my children to allow me to be here.
Cyan and Sage remind me every day that there is more to life than my dissertation. They encourage me to take breaks, get out and see the sites, and appreciate the centrality that family takes in Latin American culture. Through them, I have deepened my relationships in the field, made new local friends, and experienced a side of El Salvador and Guatemala most other researchers would not.
Anthony is my faithful partner, long-distance driver, and sounding-board for my project. When I learn new information in the field, he is there to help me reflect on what it means. If I cannot think of quite the correct way to translate a turn-of-phrase, he listens to my second, third, and fourth iteration until I get it right. When I am tired and feeling defeated, he encourages me to look at the bright side and make the best of our time here.
First and foremost, I want to thank my young and adventurous family for their incredible and endless support. Most people would not dream of attempting a PhD, much less international fieldwork, with children in tow. I could not dream of a better way to achieve this goal for me.
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