Tag Archives: research

student blogs

A Deep Dive

After getting back from my most recent family trip and attending last week’s class, my one-on-one conference with Dr. Zamora came at the perfect time. It was incredibly insightful and felt like a grounding moment I didn’t even realize I needed. The conversation allowed me to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with my writing in a more intentional way.

During our meeting, I realized just how deeply I’m going all in with my autoethnography full force, in ways I hadn’t fully imagined or explored yet. As I shared with Dr. Zamora, I still can’t believe it took me this long to write and truly recognize certain aspects of my story. But that’s the writing process for you. Some days feel productive and affirming, while others feel overwhelming and uncertain. The good and bad days are all part of learning how to sit with your work and trust where it’s taking you.

Writing this memoir hasn’t been easy, especially when I kept going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to write under a pseudonym. That uncertainty made the writing process feel heavier at times. But as I’ve spent more time with this thesis, I’ve realized what matters most is why I’m writing it in the first place, to create a time capsule for my family and myself, and to eventually share with others, preserving our stories and lived experiences. This thesis means a lot to me, so I’m choosing to move forward with patience, care, and a lot more compassion for myself along the way. 

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be focusing on writing the autoethnography, using the outline I’ve built as a foundation to stay organized and set myself up for success. I plan to approach this as generative writing, continuously building the story and exploring my truest self while staying focused and committed to the work itself.

student blogs

End of the Semester Reflections and Looking Ahead

I can hardly believe it, we’ve reached the end of the semester! Time truly does fly. As I pause to look back, I’m amazed at how much I’ve accomplished in just four months. It hasn’t been an easy ride, but I’ve pushed through, and now I’m ready to enjoy some well-deserved rest before diving into the next phase of my academic journey.

This semester has been a challenging yet rewarding experience. I feel grateful to have shared it with such a great group of classmates, and I’m looking forward to seeing many of you again in the spring term.

Next semester, I’ll be moving on to Part 2 of my MA Thesis, and I already have a few goals in mind for refining and expanding my work. In my end-of-semester self-reflection, I outlined a detailed plan for the winter break to ensure I stay on track:

  • Revisiting Current Chapters: I’ll refine their structure and content, integrating feedback from classmates/professors.
  • Targeted Research: Over the break, I’ll conduct additional research to fill in the gaps identified this semester.
  • Outlining New Chapters: I plan to map out the remaining chapters to ensure a clear direction for the Spring 2025 semester.
  • Incorporating Personal Narratives: I aim to revisit my sister’s medical records and our family’s documentation/materials of her recovery. These detailed accounts will enrich the narrative and deepen the emotional impact of my thesis.

To bring this thesis to life, my focus will be on blending personal and academic elements seamlessly. It’s crucial to maintain a strong emotional voice while tying together the threads of my sister’s journey, my research, and the broader implications of her story.

The Spring 2025 semester will be pivotal. My goal is to create a thesis that not only meets academic standards but also resonates deeply on a human level. It’s a daunting challenge, but one I’m definitely passionate about. As winter break approaches, I hope it brings everyone a balance of rest and productivity. Let’s make the most of this time to recharge and return renewed for the spring semester.

Happy Holidays!

student blogs

Thesis-in-Progress Presentation

This week I had the opportunity to present to my peers my thesis-in-progress, marking an important milestone in my academic journey. As a graduate student working on a memoir that centers around my sister’s near-catastrophic car accident, the process of developing and refining my thesis has been a deeply personal and challenging endeavor. But this week, it all came together in a way that feels like a significant confirmation of the path I’ve been on.

During the presentation, I shared the research I’ve gathered so far, including the personal stories, medical research, and psychological aspects surrounding the trauma of the accident. I also outlined the methods I’ve been using to shape my writing process, such as freewriting, reflective journaling, and integrating both my sister’s and my own perspectives into the narrative. It was incredibly rewarding to explain how these elements are coming together to form a cohesive story.

What stood out most was the feedback I received from both my peers and Dr. Zamora after the presentation. Their thoughts on what I’ve written so far, and the suggestions for improvement, were invaluable. It wasn’t just about hearing that I was on the right track; the feedback felt like a confirmation that I’m not alone in this process. It gave me the encouragement I needed to keep pushing forward, knowing that the work I’m doing has depth and that I am making real progress.

It’s easy to get caught up in the challenges, balancing school, work, and life in general but moments like these help put everything into perspective. The affirmation from others, especially from those who have a deep understanding of writing and storytelling, was exactly the push I needed. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue refining the memoir, taking into account the feedback I received, and diving deeper into the research and giving some more context of Denise’s character. Each step feels like a little victory, and this week was definitely one of those moments where the effort and hard work felt validated.

In the end, the presentation wasn’t just about showing what I’ve done so far; it was a reminder of the larger purpose of this project: to honor my sister’s story, and in doing so, create something meaningful that might resonate with others.

student blogs

Progress Snapshot

Last week’s class was engaging as we dove into the design and formatting aspects of our projects. Understanding how structure and presentation can shape a narrative has been fascinating and motivating as I continue building my thesis.

While the idea of digitizing my thesis and creating a website is exciting and appeals to a modern audience, I am more drawn to the nature of creating a physical print copy. There’s something about holding a book in your hands. It’s a tangible piece of work that encapsulates a story. Designing a physical version of this memoir feels like a way to honor my sister’s story and create a lasting keepsake for my family and anyone who reads it.

I spent some time in the library database this week, focusing on finding articles to develop my thesis further. Using the research techniques we’ve been learning, I uncovered some promising sources that I’m excited to incorporate into the narrative. These resources feel like the missing pieces I need to add depth and context to the memoir.

In addition to research, I am finishing up the book, Transforming Trauma, which has been an incredible resource. The insights I’m gaining from this book are helping me better frame the themes of trauma and resilience within my sister’s story.

On top of everything, I’ve also been working on my thesis presentation for class this week. Balancing research, reading, and writing has been a lot, but each task contributes to the overall progress. I’m building the foundation piece by piece and it’s rewarding to see the work slowly take shape. While it’s a process watching it take shape, it is deeply fulfilling.

student blogs

Building the Squares of the Quilt

I really appreciated our library visit with Craig last week, it was both informative and meaningful. I learned valuable tips and techniques for finding information in the Kean database, which I’m confident will be useful for the research and literature review portion of my thesis. This week I wrote some more and focused on finding more articles, applying Craig’s suggestion from class to use the PsycArticles database, which is ideal for trauma-related topics, one of the key themes of the memoir. Another great recommendation he gave me for PTSD-related articles was to explore the EBSCOhost database.

Another useful trick I learned from Craig was using the * symbol when searching for articles in the database, known as truncation. Truncation lets you search for a word that may have multiple endings. The symbol is typically an * placed where the word’s spelling might vary. For example, “educat*” can help locate articles on “education,” “educating,” or “educators.” With all of this information, I found a few more articles to add to the “buckets” of my literature review. 

I’m working on different parts of my thesis; from researching, writing the story, and preparing for interviews with my sister and parents. Dr. Zamora said it perfectly last week when she said I’m “building the blocks/squares to the quilt.” That analogy has stuck with me. I had been feeling scattered and worried about not having the story fully mapped out, especially without having the chapters clearly defined. I’m still uncertain about the exact order of the story and how much each chapter will contain, but I know that with time, the chapters will eventually come together seamlessly.

Another really good idea, Dr. Zamora suggested I start the memoir with an autoethnography about myself… So I spent last weekend reading some examples to help me get some inspiration.  I’ve also worked on the questions I would like to ask my sister during our interview, which I’ll paste below… I would love to hear your thoughts and/or suggestions on the questions and how I can better them so that I ensure I get the information/details needed for the story. Let me know your thoughts!

  • Can you tell me about what you remember from the day of the accident? 
  • What were some of your initial thoughts or feelings in the moments after? 
  • How did it feel when you first realized the severity of your injuries? 
  • Did anyone share the news with you directly, or did you sense it on your own?
  • What was going through your mind during those first few days and weeks of recovery?
  • Can you describe what it was like going through physical therapy? What were some of the hardest parts for you?
  • What was it like knowing that I was taking care of Daniela during this period? Did it bring you any sense of comfort?
  • How would you say this experience has shaped you as a person? Do you feel that you’ve grown or changed in ways you didn’t expect?
  • What role did hope, faith, or any specific beliefs play in helping you through this journey?
  • When you reflect on everything you’ve gone through, what stands out most to you about the recovery experience?
  • What are you most hopeful for? How do you see yourself moving forward and continuing to embrace life?
student blogs

Embracing the Process

This week, I made some progress by continuing to write and piece together different sections of the story. One thing that’s been on my mind is where to incorporate my sister’s experience of the accident into the story. I was thinking of maybe making it a possible introduction to the memoir? I’m hopeful that it’ll fit in seamlessly, but I trust that it will come together in time. I also had the idea of including a letter to my sister at the end of the memoir. I haven’t written it yet, but it seems like an interesting way to conclude. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this!

After last week’s class discussion on thesis organization, I realized I could refine my process a bit more. I had everything saved in a Google Doc within a single folder, but I decided to take it further. I spent some time reorganizing and creating sub-folders within the main folder that houses my entire thesis project. Now, each section has its own dedicated space, from notes, research, the thesis itself, chapter titles, pictures, etc…making it easier to manage and track my progress. It’s a simple adjustment, but it’s already made my workflow much more efficient.

I also use my phone for reminders, setting alerts for tasks like writing/editing, research, or revisiting a section. Having these reminders pop up keeps me accountable and ensures I don’t overlook anything important. Between my digital organization and the phone reminders, I’ve found a system that really helps me stay on top of things and make steady progress.

For my literature review, I’ve found two more research articles through Kean’s database that I think will be helpful for my thesis. I’m excited about our next class and upcoming research presentation at the Library next week. It’ll be a great, much-needed, refresher for me on how to navigate resources more efficiently and find what I need faster.

In addition to the articles I’m gathering for my literature review, which focus on the trauma aspect of a cervical injury, I also want to explore themes of healing and self-discovery. I’ve done some research through the database, but I haven’t come across anything particularly useful for that part of my thesis. So, I started looking into books on trauma and self-healing, and I found Transforming Trauma by Dr. James Gordon. In his decades of firsthand experience, Gordon emphasizes that trauma is something we’ll all encounter at some point, but he also believes we all have the capacity to heal ourselves. He talks about how, despite the devastation trauma can cause, it can also open us up to deeper understanding, greater purpose, and even more love. I think this perspective will be really valuable for the healing component of my thesis.