Nearing her defense and graduation this spring, doctoral candidate Shakita Thomas Kpetay reflects on the resources that have supported her journey including traveling abroad for research, scholarship support, and access to multiple mentors.
What is your research focus?
My research focuses on urban school closures and how the political economy shapes educational opportunities for those who have been racialized as Black.
What drove you to enroll in the doctoral program in Culture and Teaching?
I was looking for an interdisciplinary program that would allow me to expand my understanding of education and theory related to the education of Black students in urban schools.
What do you hope to get out of your educational experience?
I hoped to be able to expand my research skills, learn theories that could help me further examine the education of Black students in the United States.
Were there any surprises and challenges along the way?
I did not know exactly what the doctoral journey would be; however, I was surprised at how much freedom I had to explore what mattered to me. With the freedom that I had, the challenge was deciding on what classes to take that would help me develop my research skills and learn theory while also understanding more of the topics that I was interested in. As a person who identifies as a Pan African/Black/African American woman, it was challenging being in a department that is heavily white and centers their ways of knowing. However, being in the Culture and Teaching program and having the ability to take classes in other departments complemented my learning in Curriculum and Instruction.
What has been your experience with the faculty?
The faculty that I have taken classes with or engaged with through research were committed to my development as a scholar-activist whose research centers community. They all were invested in the classes that they taught and assigned things that were relevant to my development. My co-advisors, Dr. Vichet Chhuon and Dr. Bic Ngo supported me through this process by being open to talking through ideas, connecting me with other doctoral students and alumni, and helping to find funding opportunities. If the faculty are not as familiar with a topic or particular methodology, they were upfront and able to suggest others who were more familiar.
Which resources have you found through the program to help with your research?
I was able to connect with the Common Ground Consortium that aided my professional development through conference support, community, career workshops. I was able to learn about the CEHD International Initiatives program that allowed me to travel abroad to Jamaica, Cameroon, and Ghana to explore Black identity, slavery, colonization, and education. In addition to exploring these topics, I was able to codesign professional development workshops for educators and conduct a self-study that resulted in my first publication.
What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to obtain a tenure track faculty position or post-doctoral fellowship that will allow me to expand my research and reimagine a public education system that centers on the well being of Black students and liberation.
Did you have scholarship support? If so, what did it mean to you?
Yes, I had scholarship support and it meant the world to me in terms of freedom and flexibility. I did not have to spend all of my time every year trying to find funding opportunities. I was able to focus mostly on classes, research, and my work in the community. I was also able to travel to present at conferences and for my research projects.
What has been your favorite or most useful class and why?
To be honest, I do not have a favorite class because all of the classes were useful for my development as a scholar and educator. The classes that I enjoyed the most entail experiential learning, engagement with the community, and freedom to explore my topics. These classes include Critical Ethnography, Narrative Inquiry, Historiography of Education, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Critical Pedagogy, and Culture and Teaching Seminars.
Learn more about doctoral programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
