Profiles

Name: Sharday Mosurinjohn
Program: Cultural Studies PhD, year 1
About Me: I’m an artist, musician, and all around curious person who’s into learning just about anything and talking to just about anyone. Obsessed with questions of justice and meaning, I’m currently in the very early stages of working toward staging visual interventions that invite reflection about how to perform the complicated negotiations that allow people to re-think the world as a political project. My previous work has investigated lived experiences of gender in Canada, where the neo/liberal rhetoric of sexual equality tends to portray gender issues as already sufficiently addressed. As a way to probe the disconnect between Canada’s identity as a champion of gender equality and the realities of inequality, I explored gender discourses through the interrelated histories of Christianities and neo/liberalisms that have shaped mainstream Canadian society.
Why I chose Queen’s: After an undergrad in Anthropology and Museology at Western, I wanted to keep broadening my opportunities through an interdisciplinary grad program. Queen’s was one of the only schools in Canada to offer Cultural Studies and I decided to take the risk and hopefully reap the rewards of becoming part of the inaugural cohort. I finished my MA in Cultural Studies last year, and having enjoyed the interdisciplinary freedom – and also having bought a house and gotten engaged – staying for my PhD made sense.
What I’m here to blog about: I’m here to talk about what grad school is like as a researcher in the humanities and social sciences. I’ll write about issues and events to do with campus politics, cultural production, and striking a work/life balance. I can offer perspective, too, about what it’s like to do two grad degrees in the same place, to navigate the administrative side of a new program, and what it can mean to get involved in the Kingston community as well as at Queen’s.

 

Name:Megan Bond

Program: Master of Education

About Me: I’ve always been a free spirit, so upon graduation, with degree in hand, I ventured overseas where I began my career in education. Life abroad was full of new adventures. I felt fortunate to meet so many interesting people and become exposed to a melange of cultures. I’ve been touched by the world and will never be the same.

Why I chose Queen’s: I earned my bachelor of education degree from Queen’s in 2005, and while I was here I was given opportunities to develop as an educator but also develop my own self within the field of education. The unique opportunity to travel overseas for a teaching practicum confirmed my desire to have a career abroad, but is also proved that my dream to combine career with travel could be possible. I left Queen’s with a great deal of gratitude for the faculty of education, and by my fifth year of teaching I felt the need to do more, for myself and as an educator. I only applied to Queen’s as it seemed like the natural place to continue my professional development.

What I’m here to blog about: Adjusting to grad student life hasn’t been easy for me. Not only have I been learning how to be a student again, but I’ve also had to learn how to deal with living in Canada again. This past year has been one long adjustment period, from reverse culture shock to living on a student budget. I’m hoping that I can share the struggles and successes that other grad students like me face through the course of their programs. I want to be a real voice, but also hear from you. From literature reviews to grant proposals to having a social life, I hope that “Gradifying” can be a forum for grads to share information and build a community.