Research in Education: Summer and Fall 2020
During my first semester here at Barnard, I decided to take Educational Foundations on a whim. I had heard great things about the course, and even though I didn’t have a drive to pursue anything in Education at that moment, I thought it would be a great way to take ownership of my education at Barnard. I made the right decision to enroll in that class. Educational Foundations not only helped me reflect on my own life and the community around me, but it completely shifted my focus on how I planned to spend the rest of my time in college. Even though the class was a little on the larger side (about forty people or so)[1] , I made lasting connections with my peers, TAs, and the professor. In fact, the professor that taught this course became a really important mentor for me. She has supported me access scholarships and resources that have helped me afford college more comfortably. So, when she was in need of research assistants, I was quick to apply. I would not have been aware of this position or offered a spot had I not already explored Education studies in a classroom setting with this professor and built a relationship with her, especially since I was only a first-year. This is really unique to Barnard- not every college lecture class will create these kinds of relationships and opportunities.
In general, Barnard is amazing at creating research opportunities to strengthen your voice within your career field of interest; for example, I am taking the Urban Teaching Track within the Education department, so the research I’m doing is a perfect fit. It constantly helps me widen my perspective on education and develops my voice as an activist within research. Barnard creates empowering space for students to do research that paves a way for progress within a field you are passionate about. These effects reverberate beyond academia’s bubble.
To describe my experience more in depth, I am currently a research assistant with the Education department here at Barnard. Our research is focused on youth perceptions of inequality in rural and urban settings. Interestingly enough, this description has evolved a lot from the initial focus. From this, I’ve learned that evolution of ideas is the beauty of research. This is especially emphasized at Barnard; research is meant to evolve, transform, fail, and succeed. This has given me confidence to apply this mentality in my own life and in my future research/career endeavors.
The research itself is all online, as I started the job in late March after leaving campus and returning to home in Western North Carolina. The main tasks I do as a research assistant include finding newspaper articles, transcribing interviews, creating and editing surveys, finding other secondary sources, and brainstorming with the team on ways to improve the processes and the clarity of results. We have meetings once a week to clarify instructions, collaborate on ideas, and synthesize all the individual work we do throughout the week. We also have active lines of communication, both on email and in other group-messaging platforms. This is extremely important; without that face to face interaction that we would have on campus, it’s been essential to have strong lines of communication online. I’m grateful to have increased my communication skills while doing this job.
Furthermore, as a low-income student and active participant in communities both within Barnard and outside of it, my role as a research assistant has supported me in so many different ways. My hours are very flexible, allowing me to take classes, work another full-time job/internship, volunteer, and do other things that I need and want to do. It is tailored to fit me, my needs, and my schedule, rather than me forcing me to shift my life around to accommodate the research. And I’m so glad it is this way, because otherwise, I don’t think I would be as intentional about my work; since I can make my own hours, I can see when I have the most energy and drive to do the research. This drastically changes the quality of my work and my own personal satisfaction with the progress I make. It is extremely helpful for me as a low-income student, as it compensates me for my work, allows me to continue other jobs to support myself financially, and provides me with valuable experience that will serve as a springboard for my career in future years.
Lastly, I just want to emphasize how extremely grateful I am that the team consists of mostly women and non-binary individuals of color; this is huge, as I have too often have seen cis men dominate research spaces. It is an extremely supportive and determined team, which completely has transformed the way I take up space in the research and work I am doing in a positive way. This is something extremely unique to Barnard- in most places, you won’t find this kind of representation and support in research. I’m super excited to continue research here at Barnard to further develop my voice as an academic and quite frankly, an activist.