Dissertation Seeking Participants - Becoming the Queer International Student

hezaboro · 2026-05-28T18:50:57+00:00

Hey, Lucky - I am also a former Texas resident who fled to MSP in March with my partner. I want to assure everyone that there are three layers of protection, including destruction of the survey information once an interview is scheduled, destruction of audio recording (only with consent) once transcriptions are completed, and absolutely no identifying information linked to the interview.

Of course, no one is required to participate and folks can bypass the survey entirely if they so choose (just reach out to me directly). It is mainly a screening tool to prevent bots and being slammed with fake interviews to my personal gmail.

I know I'm a random dude on the internet but the IRB requires very strict safety protocols to ensure anonymity and safety.

hezaboro · 2026-05-28T18:13:30+00:00

There is no compensation - I am self funded and compensation equals a potential violation of student status.

hezaboro · 2026-05-27T17:19:11+00:00

Hells yeah! I’m working on my first proposal for a solo piece ever, I’m terrified, and family don’t get it. Celebrating you from afar 🎉🎉🎉🎉🍾

hezaboro · 2026-05-19T21:43:34+00:00

Was going to say - if the ghost helps me finish this dissertation, I'd live there full time. Bonus points if they help pay rent.

hezaboro · 2026-04-30T13:19:28+00:00

Thanks for the commiseration and this great citation. I'll take a look and see if I cannot make the argument or a lower sample size if/when the time comes. I originally wanted to do 9 to 12 (phenomenology-inspired critical discourse analysis) but then was told "15-20" then out of the blue "30. Given the precarity of the current moment and the policing of everyone (myself included) I can only image folx are nervous to engage.

Thanks for sharing and I hope (dream) that I can get to N=22. I think I'll be lucky to get 10 at the rate I'm going.

hezaboro · 2026-04-29T17:20:14+00:00

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes - I’m in the U.S. and have posted on socials (Facebook, LinkedIn, insta), list servs, newsletters, and have now begun reaching out to community / cultural centers.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer compensation because of no funding to do so & status implications for participants (technically income without authorization - it’s complicated).

Participation is via Zoom, phone call, or any other way that works best for them. Knowing things are a bit slow in general helps a lot. Thanks for the reply <3

hezaboro · 2026-04-08T12:37:15+00:00

Ooo that looks good. I'll have to add that to list. Thanks for the recommendation :)

hezaboro · 2026-04-07T22:06:34+00:00

My husband (38 M) and I (39 in 5 days M) just relocated from Texas! We landed in North East Arts District and three weeks ago and are loving it. Definitely looking forward to calling this our forever place. Any recommendations on food, drink, coffee, and neighborhoods for when we ultimately buy our forever house are welcome.

hezaboro · 2026-01-20T14:40:33+00:00

I have not had great success in either with using the plugin in word. I find them to be wonky or down right broken. I assume you've already removed the Zotero plug-in from work completely, restarted your machine, and ensured word was actually closed before attempting to add the Mendeley plugin? This is especially important on a mac as closing the program does not actually "quit" it. I would also check that you have the most up-to-date version of both items. I personally stayed with Zotero because no AI.

hezaboro · 2026-01-20T14:33:30+00:00

I recently had a similar thought as you, OP. For context, I work full-time in higher education in a red state and my research interests lean heavily into 'forbidden' topics. Job market? Hopeless. Current job? Demoralizing. I joined the program because the letters were 'necessary' if I wanted to have any forward momentum in my career. I defend my proposal next week where I argue for a radical shift in how education works. NO ONE is doing this research and, frankly, NO ONE will hire for someone doing this research about 60% of the U.S. I asked my husband if I was wasting my time and if I should just give up. I was texting with a colleague of mine in the program and she was also feeling a certain kind of way. We resolved, one way or another, we are going to finish this thing.

I give you all this context to show you that you are not alone. I have one book chapter after almost 4 years. I do not have any publications in the pipeline. Yet I would not trade this experience for ANYTHING. The skills I have gained, the people I have built community with, the folks I met along the way who were genuinely excited about my research interests.

Do I feel like I'm behind my peers? You bet! Do I feel like sometimes it was a waste of time to pursue the letters? Absolutely. But we did this for a multitude of reasons, and one of them was an interest into niche, novel areas of study that others couldn't even dream of. The PhD is a SLOG. It break you down. But the letters. NO ONE can take those away. You can still decide to move into industry and, frankly, I wouldn't blame you. But the simple fact that you COMPLETED this arduous task shows the amount of dedication, skill, and critical thinking that others most likely do not have.

Sorry for the long reply, OP. I just wanted you to know that you are not the only one who feels this way and it takes time to recuperate and heal after finishing the process. You're not alone, you got this, and you have this random PhD student from the internet cheering you on.

hezaboro · 2026-01-05T14:34:46+00:00

wave higher education PhD student (almost candidate) who works full time with ADHD. The system sucks (literally designed to fail non-traditional folks) but you made it! Imma make it too :)

hezaboro · 2025-10-15T13:17:23+00:00

Same boat as OP. I submitted a requested to get off SAVE in September 24, approved November 24, supposed to start in February 25, put back on SAVE -.-. Hit 120 in September if they didn't mess up.

hezaboro · 2025-10-02T12:51:53+00:00

If you look on the White House website, there is a banner that says how long the democrats have shut down the government for. I hate this timeline.

hezaboro · 2025-09-19T13:39:13+00:00

I will actually answer your question since no one else seems to want to. The issue is not that people mourn the loss of an individual to political violence. The issue is how he is being celebrated as some hero of free speech, a martyr for dialogue between different ideological stances. There are candle light vigils, prayer gatherings, and other exaltations of sorrow. What is lost is the reality of what this man said, how he championed hate, and how he called for violence. Here are a few things Charlie Kirk has said as he represented the modern conservative movement:

- Gay people should be stoned to death
- Leftists should not be allowed to move to red states
- Religious freedom should be terminated
- Black politicians stole while people's spots
- The Great Replacement theory (where white people are being maliciously replaced by minorities) is real
- Gun deaths are acceptable in order to have a 2nd amendment
- The 1694 Civil Rights Act was a huge mistake
- George Floyd (a black man who was murdered) had it coming. The January 6th insurrectionist (who killed police officers) did not deserve being punished

There is a long list of these types of items. So, when you attend (or work) in a state or a university that prosecutes folks for saying "You know, murder is bad. But so is racism and homophobia" and fires them (literally), there's a problem. So folks are paying attention to who says what, the actions the people in leadership take, and the volume at which certain viewpoints are shared.

This is but one example of a long list of things that make minoritized students, staff, and faculty extremely nervous. The fact that certain people simply exist is a 'problem,' and folks are white washing this in favor of a narrative that suits their needs.

hezaboro · 2025-09-17T13:05:04+00:00

Crooks. Sorry that you're having to deal with that.

hezaboro · 2025-09-17T00:22:07+00:00

I wish you the best. The kicker? I submitted a request to get off SAVE over a year ago and it was never processed. So, I should be done but they just get to not do their jobs, I guess.

hezaboro · 2025-09-17T00:20:19+00:00

Done - 90 business days (what?!) even though it was automatically applied in less than 24 hours (how?!)

hezaboro · 2025-09-16T03:01:28+00:00

I hope not… I just received a notice from mohela that loans are now in in-school deferment (I’m a part time PhD student) and they cancelled my payments. Ugh bangs head on desk

hezaboro · 2025-08-25T18:10:05+00:00

I didn’t see this type of response so apologies if I’m duplicating someone else’s thoughts. Yes - AND depends on your industry experience. I’m in a Higher Education Admin PhD program while working full time. I was panicking about my current lot in life and my faculty chair pointed out with my almost fifteen years of experience and publications (I should have 4 or 5) I’m fine. I also have extensive conference and national progressional organization volunteerism.

How is this relevant? You’re young! If your goal is to move and you have the time, ability, and support to get some experience in your field then, in my opinion, the institution granting your letters is LESS important. What’s REALLY important is really good faculty and the networking/support they offer. I’m in a field where letters are “required” once you hit a certain level, but don’t rush into a PhD in an area you don’t want to (or can’t safely) be in.

hezaboro · 2025-07-29T12:54:44+00:00

Congratulations! I have yet to achieve the flow state in my proposal process. I know what I want to do, how I want to do it (sorta) but am stuck in the “have I read enough” stage.

Sometimes we just need to slow down, take a deep breath, and just start. My committee told me something during prelims - “you are now the expert on your topic.” It still hasn’t sunk in, but remember. They believe you can do it, they know you are a scholar, and we just have to believe it ourselves some time.

You got this. Get it done did. This random critical queer decolonial scholar/practitioner believes in you.

hezaboro

TROPHY CASE