It’s only the third day and I’m already feeling the heat. In the past month, I’ve gained so much: I’ve been working on two different research projects, facilitating workshops and speaking at events, having an amazing social life, and finishing up my junior year strong. The upside is that I’ve been working on projects and goals that I really enjoy and am happy to be doing – the downside is that I have to prioritize and sometimes aspects of my life ultimately get cut. But, rather than lament the fact that I’m not able to be online as much, I’d rather showcase some of the great work that I’ve been doing. So, here’s a little snippet of the last month and how I’ll be moving into the next one:
Active Minds research project –
I mentioned earlier about attending a conference for my Active Minds research project, which focuses on Asian American women and their attitudes towards psychology and counseling. That project is still going strong and I’ve entered the interview section of the research, as well as having started writing a paper and working on workshop materials for a speaking engagement at the NYCAASC (New York City Asian American Student Conference) at the end of April. This project really allows me to delve into a topic that I’ve always been curious about, but haven’t quite gotten the time to address because I have not taken a class on it. It vindicates me to be able to work on it and showcase that work in a very public way. Whoo, go research!
IRCPL thesis research –
In the past week, I have also been honored to receive a grant from the Institute of Religion, Culture, and Public Life (IRCPL) for my thesis research to be conducted during this summer. I am researching (as always) mental health, but this time in a very different context: I will be traveling to Bangladesh to ask about perceptions of madness/mental illness. Having never before received such a grant, I am extremely excited (and a bit nervous!) to embark on this memorable experience. I’ll be visiting my family and also working on this project, which should culminate in a full-fledged thesis by the end of senior year.
Looking into the future –
April is APAHM (Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month), in which there are a ton of events related to Asian Americans that I’ll be involved with on campus. It’s also the month in which Well Woman will be having some great end-of-the-year programming. Finally, it’s the time in which all my classes will be winding down and all the work for them ratcheting up.
Long story short, this month will be tiring. This month will be intense. And this month will also mark me going out of my junior year with a bang, not a whisper. Wish me luck!
Tomorrow, I’ll be posting up a speech that I made last week for the end of Women’s History Month – hope you enjoy it!