Exhaustive Graduate School Guide: Navigating the PhD Journey

Academic and Professional Backgrounds of Speakers

• Kaya Kirk:     * Doctoral candidate (ABD - All But Dissertation) at Syracuse University in the Political Science PhD program.     * Originally from Atlanta, Georgia.     * Completed undergraduate studies at Jackson State University in $3$ years.     * Took a one-year hiatus before graduate school to teach elementary school in East Point, Georgia.     * Participant in the Summer $2018$ PCEP (Pre-PhD Summer Enrichment Program) cohort.
• Dr. Chloe:     * Recent PhD graduate (defended dissertation in March, graduated June $6$).     * Originally from Detroit, Michigan.     * Undergraduate degree from Alabama A&M University (English).     * Master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University (English and African American Literature).     * PhD from Wayne State University in English, specifically specializing in Rhetoric and Writing Studies.     * Participant in the $2020$ PCEP cohort (first COVID-virtual cohort).

The Cohort: Participant Introductions

• Payton Carter: Rising senior at Howard University; Health Management major, African Studies minor.
• Aubrianna Hills: Rising senior at Howard University; History major, Biology minor.
• Jordan Allen: Rising senior at Howard University; Psychology major, Criminology minor; graduating in $3$ years.
• Sydney Damar: Recent graduate of Florida A&M University; Psychology degree, Sociology minor.
• Anna Gafford: Rising senior at Howard University; International Affairs major, Political Science and History minors.
• Leah Cowan: Rising senior at Albany State University; Political Science major.
• Taylor Hill: Rising senior at Howard University; TV and Film Production major, Sociology minor; graduating in $3$ years.

Defining the "Why": Motivations for Pursuing a PhD

• Career Barriers and Professional Opportunities:     * Kaya Kirk noted the difficulty of securing desirable employment with only a Bachelor’s degree.     * The PhD was seen as a way to open higher-level career tiers, specifically the ability to teach at the university level.
• The Influence of Mentorship:     * Kaya was encouraged by her professor, Dr. Ori, to join PCEP as a "test dummy" for the program.     * Dr. Grant (Kanisha Grant) recruited her and explained the strategy of entering a PhD program to get a Master’s degree for free (the "master out" option).     * Chloe received an email link from a professor at Alabama A&M; though he didn’t explicitly say to apply, the implication was clear.
• Passion for Education:     * Chloe aspired to be a teacher since childhood, even using a whiteboard to teach her brother lessons she found on the internet.     * After teaching seventh-grade English, she realized she did not enjoy K-12 education and sought the collegiate level for better pay (potential six-figure salaries) and a better fit.

Strategic School Selection and Funding

• DEI Recruitment and Campus Visits:     * During $2019$, many Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) used Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) funding to fly out HBCU students for recruitment.     * Princeton University: Kaya reported a negative experience; she felt the institution was not genuinely open to diversification and made off-putting comments regarding "merit."     * Purdue University: Kaya observed faculty infighting, which she viewed as a red flag for dissertation committee formation.
• Critical Selection Criteria:     * Funding and Stipends: Programs should ideally be fully funded. Chloe emphasized obtaining the PhD for free to maintain her record of zero-cost education (Bachelor’s through PhD).     * Transfer Credits: Chloe prioritized schools that would accept her Master’s credits. Wayne State accepted $30$ credits, allowing her to finish in $4$ years instead of $6$ or $7$.     * Representation: Kaya looked for programs where Black women had successfully graduated and felt supported.     * Cost of Living: Consideration of whether the stipend is livable in the specific city (e.g., DC vs. Detroit).
• The Application Process:     * Kaya utilized her status as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, which provided GRE fee waivers and fellowship commitments from certain universities.     * Chloe initially faced rejection from Wayne State because her pro-Black, Marxist rhetorical analysis of "A Raisin in the Sun" was deemed too radical by some faculty, but the Black dean of the graduate school intervened to award her a diversity fellowship based on that same research.

Labor Requirements: GAs, TAs, and Fellowships

• Graduate Assistant (GA) / Teaching Assistant (TA):     * Involves working for the university in exchange for tuition and a stipend.     * Roles: Grading papers for large classes (up to $150$ students), teaching recitations, or acting as the primary instructor.     * Intensity: At Wayne State, GTAs are the "whole professor," responsible for the syllabus, grading, and teaching twice a week.
• Fellowships:     * The "gold standard" of funding because they require no teaching or grading labor, allowing full focus on research and coursework.     * Kaya's Fellowships: First-year McNair Fellowship, a $2$-year STEM Fellowship, and the external AAUW (American Association of University Women) Dissertation Fellowship.     * Chloe's Fellowships: The Dean’s Diversity Fellowship (first $3$ years) allowed her to focus on research before transitioning to a GTA role in her final year.
• Summer Funding:     * Academic funding is often on a $9$ or $10$-month cycle. Students must inquire about summer funding or risk being unpaid during those months.

Dissertation Research Topics and Methodologies

• Dr. Chloe’s Research:     * Topic: Black Maternal Mortality viewed through a rhetorical lens rather than just a medical one.     * Scope: Analyzed how Black women are rhetorically "transcribed as the other" through racialization, legalization, and medicalization.     * Archive: Conducted archival research at Hutzel Hospital (the first birthing center in Detroit).     * Findings: Tracked the history of medical experimentation on Black women, pseudoscientific literature (e.g., Thomas Jefferson), and the impact of modern abortion rhetoric.
• Kaya Kirk’s Research:     * Topic: The "Black Cabinet"—African American federal bureaucrats serving as racial advisers to Franklin D. Roosevelt.     * Methodology: Archival research and social science methods.     * Key Concept: Developed the term "Movement State Actors" to describe activists who work as insiders within government while maintaining roles in civil rights organizations.     * Challenges: Impacted by government shutdowns that limited access to archives, requiring a pivot in data storytelling.

The Advisor-Advisee Relationship

• The "Dating" Process: Finding an advisor is a relational process. It is recommended to interview potential advisors.
• Advisor Styles:     * Hands-off: Chloe’s advisor was nonchalant; good for autonomy but difficult when needing structured guidance during the dissertation.     * In-the-weeds: Some students prefer advisors who read every paragraph.
• Critical Questions to Ask a Potential Advisor:     1. How many students are you currently advising?     2. What is your typical turnaround time for feedback (e.g., $2$ weeks vs. $2$ months)?     3. How long does it take your students to graduate on average?     4. What is your philosophy on students sharing work with other committee members?
• The Reality of Faculty Mobility: Faculty members often leave institutions. Kaya experienced committee changes every year for $3$ years due to faculty departures and "ghosting."

Navigating Challenges and Imposter Syndrome

• Imposter Syndrome Defined: The feeling of being unqualified for a position despite having earned it; the doubt that one’s success is a fluke that could be exposed.
• Psychological Resilience:     * Kaya critiqued the concept, suggesting that institutions use the term "imposter syndrome" to avoid accountability for the psychologically taxing environments they create for Black students.     * Speakers emphasized relying on the foundation provided by HBCUs and PCEP to maintain confidence.
• Handling Rejection:     * Dr. Hayes suggested the "$24$-hour rule": allow yourself one day to feel bad about a rejection (e.g., eat ice cream), then get back up and continue.

Professional Development and Networking

• Conferencing and Publishing:     * Crucial for gaining name recognition outside of one's home institution.     * Chloe co-authored a hip-hop publication which led to a paid speaking invite on a panel with twenty-year veterans in the field.     * Building connections with major scholars (e.g., Dr. Jacqueline Jones Royster) can lead to mentorship and committee opportunities.
• Daily Routine and Balance:     * Treat the PhD like a job. Avoid letting it consume your entire life.     * Coursework phase involves heavy reading; Kaya and Chloe recommend strategic "skimming" (Introduction, Conclusion, and key middle paragraphs) to manage loads of over $100$ pages per course.     * Dissertation phase is lonely and requires self-motivation; routine is essential.

Final Words of Advice

• Networking: Stay connected to the PCEP network; these peers will become your future professional support system.
• Advocacy: Don't be afraid to critique the syllabus or the field. Kaya’s dissertation topic grew from her vocal critique of a racist, white-centric "Public Administration" curriculum.
• Self-Care: Find activities that make you feel human, such as cleaning, walking, or visiting with friends.