Exhaustive Course Introduction and Graduate School Preparation Guide

Administrative Announcements and Schedule Updates

• Schedule Changes for Monday: Due to Dr. Gurrant completing the required information during an earlier session, her afternoon classes for the current day are canceled.
• Counseling Component: A new therapy or counseling component will be added to the program schedule on Wednesday afternoons. Dr. Gurrant will provide specific login information for these sessions upon her return.
• Instructional Contact: The primary instructor for this session is Dr. Sheena Harris Hayes (referred to by students as Dr. Harris or Dr. Hayes).

Student Introductions and Academic Backgrounds

• Aubrey Donna Hills:     * Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio.     * Current Status: Rising senior at her institution.     * Academic Concentration: History major with a Biology minor.     * Motivation: Interested in diasporic studies and research-focused PhD programs. Seeking a funded program and application skills.
• Sydney Demar:     * Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia.     * Current Status: Recent graduate of Florida A&M University (FAMU).     * Academic Concentration: Psychology major with a Sociology minor.     * Motivation: Aspires to be a clinical psychologist. Intends to pursue a Master’s degree first to confirm PhD interests. Her parents hold Master’s degrees in Business, but she seeks guidance on the specific research requirements of social science applications.
• Taylor Kellum:     * Hometown: DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).     * Current Status: Recent graduate of Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: Interdisciplinary Studies/International Affairs with a minor in Media, Journalism, and Film.     * Motivation: Originally a Chemistry (Pre-Med) major; pivoted to political economy in her sophomore year. Aims to use storytelling and knowledge sharing to impact future students.
• Leah Cowan:     * Hometown: Albany, Georgia.     * Current Status: Rising senior at Albany State University.     * Academic Concentration: Political Science major.     * Motivation: Changed from Forensic Science to Political Science due to an interest in advocacy and civic engagement. Introduced to the program by a peer of Dr. Gurrant.
• Kana Brooks:     * Hometown: Northern Illinois.     * Current Status: Rising senior at Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: Sports Management major with double minors in Sports Administration and History.     * Motivation: Transitioned from a History major to Sports Management after taking a Sports and Media course. Aims to bridge history and sports in graduate studies.
• Alma Baffour:     * Hometown: North Carolina.     * Current Status: Rising senior at Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: International Affairs major with double minors in Political Science and History.     * Program Affiliation: Part of the Howard University HSP (PhD pathway) program; recommended by Dr. Bratton.     * Research Interests: West African foreign relations, specifically political corruption and instability in countries like Ghana (her father’s place of origin).
• Brianne Sparrow:     * Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.     * Current Status: Rising senior at Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: Psychology and Criminology double major.     * Program Affiliation: Part of the H3SP pre-PhD program; recommended by Dr. Bratton.     * Motivation: First-generation college student seeking clarity on the graduate application process. Research interests include mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, and developmental psychology with a forensic focus.
• Jordan:     * Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania.     * Current Status: Student at Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: Psychology major with a Criminology minor.     * Motivation: Interested in viewing the criminal justice system through a psychological lens. shifted from wanting to be an expert witness to exploring other ways to combine psychology and law.
• Taylor Hill:     * Hometown: Waldorf, Maryland.     * Current Status: Rising junior at Howard University.     * Academic Concentration: TV and Film Production major.     * Motivation: Recommended by Dr. Wright. Interested in the intersection of film, media, and sociology to foster storytelling and advocacy.

Biography and Career Trajectory of Dr. Sheena Harris Hayes

• Origin Story: Born in Bridgeton, New Jersey; raised in Pompano Beach, Florida.
• Military Service: Joined the military at age $16$ as a "Plan B" to ensure college funding.     * While in basic training following high school graduation, the $9/11$ Twin Towers attacks occurred, leading to an immediate expectation of deployment.     * Deployed to Iraq at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom during her first semester at Florida A&M University (FAMU).     * Served as a Sergeant at a military police station handling low-level prisoners.
• Academic Shift in Iraq: Prisoners in Iraq questioned her knowledge of Black history, prompting her to read Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. This experience shifted her worldview and academic focus toward History and Africana Studies.
• Educational Path:     * Undergraduate: Political Science (initially chosen to pursue law, inspired by Law & Order).     * Masters: Completed at Florida A&M University.     * PhD: Completed at the University of Memphis. She was the second Black PhD student mentored by her advisor at Memphis.
• Professional Tenure History:     * Austin Peay State University: First tenure-track position. Established a bridge program in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, teaching history to military soldiers.     * Tuskegee University: Spent $8$ years here; earned tenure. Published her first book on Margaret Murray Washington (third wife of Booker T. Washington) and Black women’s education/club work.     * West Virginia University: Served for $2$ years; earned tenure.     * Auburn University: Currently in her $4^{th}$ year; holds tenure.

Graduate School Preparation Curriculum (4-Week Outline)

• Schedule Detail: Classes meet Monday and Wednesday from $10:00$ AM to $12:00$ PM. (A typo in the initial syllabus listed Tuesday/Thursday, which the instructor will correct).     * Session Structure: The first hour ($10:00$ to $11:00$) is generally an open session or lecture. The second hour ($11:00$ to $12:00$) is reserved for independent or guided work on portfolios, CVs, and outlines.
• Weekly Breakdown:     * Week 1: Introduction to graduate school. Discussion topics include "Why Graduate School?" and "Choosing the Right Graduate School" (emphasizing personal priorities and ethics).     * Week 2: Focus on building the Curriculum Vitae (CV). The goal is to move beyond AI-generated lists to a document that uniquely describes the student. (Note: Memorial Day falls during this week, shortening the session time).     * Week 3 (Real Talk Sessions): Engagement with current or former graduate students. These guests will share honest experiences regarding the application and enrollment process. Students are expected to come prepared with questions.     * Week 4: Toolkit completion. Final review and feedback on portfolio components including the CV, cover letters, and school application lists.

Assignments and Next Steps

• List of Five Schools: Each student must identify their top $5$ graduate school choices.
• The "Big Why": Students must reflect on and define their personal motivation for pursuing a graduate degree.
• Considerations for Schools: When evaluating programs, students should look beyond curriculum to include practical factors such as:     * Geographic location and weather.     * Access to public transportation vs. needing a car.     * The career outcomes of program graduates.
• Preparation for Wednesday: Students will enter an open forum during the next session to discuss their "Whys" and their school lists.
• Zoom Logistics: For Wednesday and future sessions, students must use the specific Zoom links provided in the syllabus for the specific professor teaching that block, rather than staying on Dr. Gurrant's link.