I am the first person in my family to go to college and pursue a doctorate. Understatement: it has been challenging to navigate higher education spaces. Some of these challenges were expected from rigorous institutions like Princeton and Harvard. A lot of them, however, stem from the fact that most institutions of higher education were not created with me or fellow first-generation, low-income, Latinas in mind.

Sunshine sustains me. Growing up in South Central, Los Angeles meant that I never had to worry about Vitamin D deficiency. Pursuing college and graduate school in the East coast, however, meant I had to kiss the Los Angeles sun goodbye. This long-distance love has lasted about 9 years now. It hasn’t been easy.

After too many long and brutal winters (both literally and figuratively), I worked hard to rekindle the sunny disposition I had before I left my family and my home in Los Angeles, California. 

It took me a long time to prioritize my happiness and well-being as a PhD student in Harvard’s American Studies program. In a series of blog posts that I’m calling “Eternal Sunshine of the PhD Mind”, I will share some strategies that help me “stay warm” in graduate school. The series’ title comes from the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). The film’s take on memory, erasure, and beauty in a nonlinear narrative fit my own journey so the title feels apt.

If you are also pursuing a PhD, I hope these upcoming posts encourage you to find your sunshine. If you’re not a PhD student, I pray you also find some warmth in my words.

Con cariño,

Jenesis