my mantra

For all you grad school geeks out there, you'll be proud to here that I've coined my new academic mantra. Yes, Jenn has a new answer to that question we all know and love/hate - "Tell us what your research interests are".

[Usually, the question gets asked at the beginning of the term, upon arrival in your seminar. It's an odd time - filled with hyperinflated egos and made-up words and thoughts of god-these-people-are-all-so-much-smarter-than-me. Even so, I sort of like it in my usual masochistic way.]

So here are my thoughts, as I ponder how I'm going to link law school with everything else I've learned in my academic career:

How do we build intersectionality into youth advocacy programs? Having worked with the Equity Ambassadors, UMCP's Asian American Student Union, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Program, countless high school students and now Outlaws, I'm always struck by the struggle to incorporate an intersectional focus when fighting for social justice. Some programs are fabulous at it. Other programs need some work. But surely, we can develop an approach to ensuring the fundamental rights of all that recognizes & affirms the whole person - rather than just the components.

I haven't figured out how to get there yet. Maybe I never will. But at least I've set it down in print for now.

Hopefully, I'll pick up some useful hints over the next three years.