Women’s Studies Education Shapes Education & Career Trajectory
Taylor Burtch graduated with an MA in Women’s Studies in Spring 2018. She went on to earn her PhD in Higher Education at UF in Summer 2023 and is now working as a postdoctoral researcher for The Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University.
When I began the master’s program in 2016, I had a passion for gender studies and social justice but very abstract plans about how I might translate those motivations into a scholarly agenda or a sustainable career. I was truly amazed at how much a full-time, 2-year program could contribute to my growth as a person and how many diverse opportunities I would have to hone my skills in writing, teaching, and engaging with community partners.
I consider myself foundationally shaped by the classes I took during the program, including LGBTQ+ Health, and Women and Therapy. Much of what I know about feminist and intersectional theory comes from these seminars and the space they created for me to grapple critically with my own positionality and with the systems of power and privilege that go unacknowledged in most academic spaces. I relied heavily on this knowledge throughout my PhD program in Higher Education, learning new ways to translate critical theory and praxis to the study of college access and success for multiply marginalized students.
My educational and career trajectory is equally shaped by the experiences afforded to me by the Department’s flexible internship and non-thesis project options. My internship with Pace Center for Girls as part of my credit-bearing coursework in the program set the seed for not only a final project connecting theory to praxis in ways that felt personal, tangible, and meaningful, but also an ongoing community partnership. In the years since completing my master’s, I have remained involved with Pace as a volunteer and research partner. For my dissertation, I collaborated with the organization’s data team to expand on my master’s project and explore the role of identity, trauma, and adversity in students’ postsecondary pathways.
In addition to my program classes and research, I was incredibly fortunate to TA and lead multiple classes in and outside of the department, including Humanities Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality and the then required course for first-year UF freshmen, What is the Good Life? I consider these teaching experiences (as well as the mentorship I received from faculty in these roles) as central to my development as an interdisciplinary scholar who can engage in critical dialogue across diverse spaces. This skill has proven invaluable to my personal and professional development.
Upon completion of my postdoctoral position with Florida State, I will continue forging my path as a scholar-activist through research and advocacy. I am eternally grateful to the faculty in the department for their investments in me and for helping me to identify and use my voice. I can confidently say that while my career is still unfolding, I will continue to prioritize justice and equity in my work and have the skills and confidence to do so, even when I am met with resistance. I have the department to thank for that.