I Should Go

An engineering degree leads to a counseling career which leads to a YouTube channel that will get you into Harmonious.Balance. It's the butterfly effect, but for jobs. Johanna S shows us how she connected  her interests and intuitions to create a new, more fulfilling path.  

Georgia thru and thru. Pracademic. Superstar colleague. Yes, I'm talking about Dr. J, -  Joan Collier. An unexpected detour revealed that the pace of faculty life and the isolation wasn't what she wanted. So she returned to higher education administration. But she didn't leave her research behind. Dr. J offers a great example of staying connected to research while pursuing an administrative career. 

Mother. Organizer. Public Servant. Academic Bridge Builder. These are just a few of the words that describe this episode's guest, Mytoan Nguyen-Akbar. A California girl, she found herself in the cold Midwest for graduate school. Many of her undergraduate mentors had PhDs and held non faculty positions. They modeled possibilities and the many ways that she could put her doctorate to use. 

An elementary school teacher at heart takes a detour to higher education. Noriko Milman held onto her love of teaching and found a university position where she could do just that. The pandemic threw a wrench into what had seemed like a relatively secure job. Reflections on family and what she wanted to be doing for the next 10 years led to a career change.

Sometimes the decision to leave a job or career comes from a place of hope. My guess today, Miss Sandy, offers insight into what it feels like to know you're running toward something better. She enjoyed her job but wanted more. She charted a new career path with a young child in tow and never looked back. 

What happens when you have squad goals, but faculty won't join your crew? After leaving a successful career for a doctoral program, my guest today, Beverly Tyler, found few faculty willing to support her and obstacles placed in the way of faculty that would. Feedback was scant. Compassion in response to a loss, non-existent. She left the doctoral program but returned to higher education as an administrative staff member. We talk about what it means to see higher education from such varied perspectives.  

Soap operas. Outfits. Poetry. Just a few of the things that come up when two friends chat about career choices. Averil Clarke, author of Inequalities of Love: College-Educated Black Women and the Barriers to Romance and Family, joins me for my first episode. We talk about life on the tenure track and what happens when you decide to leave.