What is the title of your dissertation and what was your key finding?
Jay: My dissertation was titled "School Persistence and Dropout Amidst Displacement: The Experiences of Children and Youth in Kakuma Refugee Camp." I used a sequential mixed-methods design to examine the different factors that influenced the schooling of children and youth in Kakuma Refugee Camp. In terms of my key findings, I found that family poverty, inability to afford school uniforms and supplies, school uniform policy, living without parents/guardians, and family responsibilities were some of the major reasons that contributed to school dropout. By contrast, different types of support—financial, emotional, or academic—received from family members, teachers, and peers mainly influenced students’ persistence, despite persistent barriers in schooling. This study finds that ensuring educational access and persistence was not the role of a single stakeholder in education—i.e., a family member (parent), a head teacher, a teacher, or a student. Instead, different actors in children and youth’s sociocultural environments could play a role in influencing their decisions to (dis)continue education.
Carine: My dissertation is entitled “Global and Local (F)Actors in Environmental and Sustainability Education Policies: Three Articles on School Districts in the United States”. It is a mixed-methods study which focuses on a growing number of education policies at the local level that aim to foster a more environmentally friendly world. In short, these policies strive to both green school buildings and provide related educational programs. Factors and actors that were found to play a role in this are district governance, other local sustainability efforts and policies, an urban location of school districts, environmental (education) organizations and the perceived effect of climate change. Case studies also underscore the increasing role of students in furthering these policies at the district level.
What was a highlight of your time at Teachers College?
Jay: There are so many things I can highlight (given my eight years at TC as an MA student and EdD student), but definitely the opportunity to work on projects such as Teachers for Teachers, a continuous professional development initiative led by Dr. Mary Mendenhall. This project not only enabled me to gain hands-on experiences in terms of program management, monitoring and evaluation, and research but gifted me with the opportunity to work with the dream team at TC (Mary Mendenhall and fellow doctoral student Danielle Falk), not to mention amazing and inspiring colleagues in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya (Aguer Mayen, Jimmy Onono, Peter Mading, Maketh Deng, to mention a few).
Carine: I think the highlight of my time at Teachers College is two-fold. On the one hand, there is the resulting global network of critical individuals who are trying to move the needle towards a more equitable and sustainable world through education. Both our program and the college at large provide constant opportunities to build these relationships. Working with peers inside and outside the classroom also fostered these invaluable connections. On the other hand, it is the intellectual journey and the constant challenge presented by professors and peers alike to test your brain plasticity, be more critical, and add more lenses to your thought process.
What advice do you have for current and aspiring doctoral students? What do you know now that you wish you knew at the beginning of your journey?
Jay: First, you got to cherish the work that you do (that is, your dissertation work). Second, seek advice from your academic advisor and your classmates. Third, do not be afraid of making mistakes. Fourth and most importantly, please take care of your well-being! I'm telling you- there are these moments when you question yourself, "Why am I doing this work?" "Am I good enough to pursue this academic path?" "What contribution can I make with this work?" "Why do I feel like I'm the only one who's behind?" In these moments (it usually happens when I'm alone in the library, pulling an all-nighter reading and writing), I re-read my statement of purpose and my journal and reminded myself of the very "purpose" of why I started pursuing a doctorate -- for the "people" that you care about. For me, I remembered the beautiful eyes and smiles of children and youth I met in Kakuma and Juba (Also, treat yourself out to eat good food! Sometimes, that could simply make you happy! ;D)
In terms of lessons learned, whatever theoretical/conceptual framework or methodology you wish to use for your dissertation, take advantage of your classwork. Professors are usually very flexible with doctoral students - allowing us to work individually on our dissertation-related projects! I wished I have taken more classes to map out my dissertation work (using either the topical or the methods courses). You can seek advice from other students (those who are in the fourth or fifth years) regarding the sequence of the coursework, which could help you save time and support your doctoral dissertation!
Carine: It’s a long and winding road, lonely at times. It is important to stay on course, be adaptable, and live a little along the way. I may have failed at the latter at times. Make sure you work with an advisor you like, respect and are able to communicate with freely. This relationship is paramount during and after the program and I am lucky to have found such person.
What are you doing now? What is next in your career?
Jay: I now work as a postdoctoral research scholar at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. I am part of the research and learning team on the Mastercard Foundation's e-Learning Initiative in African institutions. Also, I am involved in multiple refugee-related initiatives at the College. I plan to continue my career in academia but with an emphasis on advocacy/practice (I have huge respect for my doctoral advisor who tries to bridge academia/research, practice, and policy). Hence, I wish to travel to different parts of the world to listen to the voices of the marginalized populations and share them with others. Last but not least, I love teaching - so I hope to continue working closely with under(graduate) students to not only teach them but also learn from them ;)
Carine: I am currently an adjunct assistant professor in our program while I work towards publishing different parts of my dissertation and stay engaged with research projects at the Center for Sustainable Futures. I am exploring more permanent options where I can put my research and teaching skills as well as my focus on sustainability and education/public policy to the best possible use and make the greatest impact.
Congratulations to the both of you!