Naturally Surviving

Name: Shamika (Mika) N. Karikari Program: Student Affairs in Higher Education Ph.D. program at Miami University Year In Program: 3rd year Where Can We Find You: @MikaKarikari (Twitter), http://mika-nicole.blogspot.com/ Words To Live By: "When I dare to be powerful, to exercise my strength in the service of my visions then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid- Audre Lorde Advice:  Have an accountability partner who will check in with you about your progress. Ex. When you leave work at 5, can you call me and ask me what I’ve read today? You’re not bothering people or burdening them, most people want to help you Understand why you want to pursue a Ph.D. before pursuing it. Be courageous enough to go after what you want during your process Tools: Google Docs  SisterPhd.com Book: Present Over Perfect By Shauna Niequist Podcast: This American Life Self-Care:  Baking

  Name: Dr. Jillian A. Martin Program: Ph.D. College Student Affairs Administration Words of Wisdom: Read other writers to learn how to write and to help you find your own voice. Be true to yourself during the process. Create your own process. Write every day. Get a writing partner. Make yourself a Ph.D. playlist Resources: Websites: 750words.com Books: The Artist's Way By Julia Cameron Purple Hibiscus By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Color Purple By Alice Walker What I Know For Sure Oprah The Charleston’s Syllabus  Podcast: The Read Freakonomics Tim Ferris The Barbershop Mentality Music: Jillian’s PhD Playlist on Spotifyy I’m Getting Ready By Tasha Cobb Leonard Your Spirit  By Tasha Cobb Leonard and Kierra Sheard Lady Mamarlade By Pattie Labelle 

Name: Nicole Program: Ph.D. Higher Education Year in Program: 1st year *information has been changed to protect the identity of this week's guest

Name: Lauren Harper Program: Ph.D. Counseling Psychology Year In Program: 3rd Where can people find you (website, social media, etc.): Facebook is your best bet! You can find me under Lauren Simone Harper Words of advice/helpful information: I hope you either hear yourself or hear what you need and that this launches you closer to who you're destined to be. Anything else you would like to add: Thank you Dr. Lacy for your steadfast commitment to Black women and the Black scholar community. It's been an honor to know you, work with you, and call you my sista-scholar!

First, figure out: Topic: What is the general thing you want to talk about? Problem: What issue will you research address? Purpose: What will be the point of your research project and how does it connect to the problem?   Once you know those two things, then you can write your main research question. Some other things that you can do to figure out your first question:   Get all of the thoughts out of your head. Take a brain dump, either writing, talking to someone, or recording yourself. You want to say or write everything that you are thinking in relation to your topic. This will help get clear and to focus down on your topic. Read existing literature. You have to know what has already been done regarding your topic. What have other people found? If there is nothing, what does that mean? WARNING: Please don’t get stuck here. Using reading as an excuse will hinder your progress. [CONNECT ARTICLE] What is your time frame and capacity with this project? How much time do you have? Is this a project that you can

Name: TJ   Program: College Student Affairs Administration at UGA   Year In Program: 2nd   Where can people find you (website, social media, etc.): I am TerahJay on any and all social media where I want to be found haha! (Twitter, IG) and theterahjay.com   Words of advice/helpful information: It's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again. ― Benjamin Button, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button