2023-Present

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (MSU):

Ph.D. student in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education

I am a current PhD student at Michigan State University (MSU). My research interests focus on University Culture/Campus Ecology, faculty support, curriculum design, career support/student transition out of the university, graduate student support, and ADHD in college women. I have participated in self-guided research projects that have given me experience in designing research; a teaching apprenticeship requiring design of syllabi and lesson plans, creation of a D2L site, and co-teaching an undergraduate course; and a graduate assistantship that has allowed me to hone my presentation skills and career preparation knowledge. I currently serve as the graduate student representative for the MSU School of Education Alumni board, where I serve on the Outreach/Recruitment committee. I have also completed a Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Postsecondary Education.

Through this opportunity, I have had the chance to learn from well-respected higher education scholars, including Kris Renn, Brendan Cantwell, Riyad Shajahan, and my advisor Brad Cox. 

PhD Research 

Academic Conferences

2019-2021

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO (LUC): 

M.Ed. in Higher Education 

My MEd in Higher Education had a strong social justice focus, influenced by Loyola's Jesuit roots. The program provided a brave space within which we were able to discuss the importance of positionality, racial and socioeconomic consciousness, and using a critical lens. The practical Student Affairs focus of this degree served as a good introduction to working at a university in a professional capacity. I was able to take classes in Budgeting and Finance, Organizations and Governance, Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education, among others. I had the opportunity to participate in two internships, one at North Park University in the Office of International Affairs and one at University of Chicago in the Center for Leadership and Involvement. Additionally, I was the first person at Loyola to obtain the professional certificate in Curriculum and Pedagogy in Higher Education.

Check out my Loyola University MEd Eportfolio, submitted to obtain the master's degree.

2017-2019

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN (TCD): 

M.Phil in Irish Writing

My MPhil in Irish Writing was an opportunity for me to attend the most prestigious university in Ireland, but also to dedicate a year of study to a topic that I had been interested in since my first trip to Ireland in 2007: Irish literature. When I was younger, the interest was mostly focused on the setting of Ireland as a connection to my heritage and my Irish dancing hobby. However, I was able to take an undergraduate course on Irish Literature that affirmed my interest in the subject. Ireland was England's first colony, and in many ways it is the prototype for later colonialization. The literature produced both pre-independence (pre-1921) and post-independence serves as a microcosm for the distinct themes seen in colonial and post-colonial literature produced in other former British colonies. 

The program involved core courses around Perspectives in Irish Writing and Major Authors. Each semester, students would take two core courses and one elective, with the option to audit a second elective. The two electives I took were Big House Literature and Ireland on the Stage, and I audited a course around Poetry in the Troubles. Outside of class at TCD, I joined the Graduate Student Union as the Irish Writing course representative. 

During the program, I was taught by preeminent Irish literature scholars, including Terrence Brown, Tom Walker, Julie Bates, Amy Prendergast, Rosie Laven, and my thesis advisor Paul Delaney. I had the opportunity to read Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, Seamus Heaney, William Trevor, J.M. Synge, and many more famous Irish authors. I even got to read Oscar Wilde's works in his birth home on his birthday. (That's right. The courses I took were held in the house where Oscar Wilde was born). When it came time to write my thesis, however, I came back to the works that had inspired the love of Irish literature in the first place: Irish American literature. Additionally, getting to know the faculty and staff who ran the program helped me understand the behind-the-scenes work that happens at a university. Between experiencing what it was like to be an international student and my interactions with the course coordinator, I came out of this experience knowing I wanted to work in higher education administration.  

Overall, it was a truly transformational experience that allowed me to travel, read, and truly discover my love of universities. 

Check out my 2017-2018 Travel Blog to read about the adventures I had while living in Dublin.

You can also read my Master's Thesis, below.

2013-2017

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY (MU): 

Honors B.S. in Elementary Education and English Language Arts

My time at Marquette was the basis for everything else I've done in my career/education. From the moment I stepped on campus, on my first day of university tours during my junior year of high school, I knew that Marquette was where I needed to be. I had wanted to be a teacher for as long as I could remember (as soon as I realized being an author was not always a lucrative career). Marquette was the perfect fit. It was a healthy distance from home, had a good education school, and held Jesuit values that I was interested in incorporating into my life. (The Jesuits are a religious order in the Catholic Church focused on education and charitable work). At Marquette, I was part of the Honors program, the School of Education, and the English Department. I also served as a Resident Assistant, retreat leader, and in various other student leadership roles. Although ultimately Elementary Education was not my path, I gained valuable foundational education knowledge that has helped me on every subsequent step of my career and educational journey.  And my secondary English major opened up doors to get me to where I am today. 

Honors Capstone Final Poster, 2016: "Refugees Welcome Here!"