Yesenia Alcaron's Thesis. Social Sciences Assignment

Running head: YESENIA ALARCON1
Yesenia Alarcon: A Reflection on a Thesis Journey
Student Name
College/University Affiliation
YESENIA ALARCON

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Yesenia Alarcon: A Reflection on a Thesis Journey
Learning is an endless journey. In daily life encounters, one might know where a learning journey begins but could never tell where an end, if any, would start or lead up to. The learning journey of Ms. Yesenia Alarcon to get a dual BA/MPA degree is telling. Coming from a typically low-income immigrant (Mexican) family, Ms. Alarcon has had to go uphill against a sea of troubles initially in a gang violence-plagued neighborhood and later against systematic academic discrimination defined more by zip code and less by individual ability. The mental stress Ms. Alarcon has experienced to get a dual degree at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) by performing research on mental health services provided by seven universities in Chicago is, moreover, insightful and ironic. The insights come from Ms. Alarcon’s extensive presentation and analysis of income disparity in Chicago as a major factor influencing mental health services on campuses and in surrounding communities at large. The irony is, of course, about Ms. Alarcon’s being under “considerable stress” herself while doing a dual degree and losing a close relative in another country, having a dear friend committed suicide and, not least, losing inertia as she nears her degree completion. This is an experience I connect to strongly.
The graduate school is demanding enough. Like Ms. Alarcon, I have had to do fieldwork and literally run to many places and secure interviews to collect data required for my research work. This is common enough to all graduate students. In my case, I have had to manage, more or less successfully, a whole can of worms, so to speak, while I was doing my research. Essentially, I have had to deal with household differences and conflicting schedules juggling work, study and domestic duties. Unlike Ms. Alarcon, I have had to manage a partner plus a not so friendly learning environment just as she did. So, I have not only had to excel in my
YESENIA ALARCON

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studies to “prove my worth” - just as anyone in Ms. Alarcon’s situation should but also to manage an increasingly deteriorating conjugal situation. The pressure I have been writing under has been, looking back, almost insurmountable. Thanks to a firm belief in my mission and strong family support, I have been able to understand my pressure in a different light. If I have one most important takeaway from such experience, I would say changing perspective is indispensable to navigate away from any pressure, mental or physical, while writing.
This brings me to fatigue or burnout. Undeniably, doing research is an exacting process not everyone could manage successfully. I have to admit I, too, have gone through a phase where I was so tired I could not e...