The Graduate Buff Experience: The Journey to Doctor
Leah Powers, Ph.D., (PhDFren鈥�23) made it to where she is by staying curious, and her success has come from her ability to find places to explore that curiosity.听
Leah Powers, Ph.D., has been an integral part of the Department of French & Italian at the 彩民宝典 since she first began her graduate studies in the Fall of 2016. During her time as a graduate student at CU, first pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree in French and later a Doctoral degree in the same subject, Powers has placed an emphasis on curiosity.听
Leah Powers poses for a portrait in the Center for Academic Success and Engagement on the 彩民宝典 campus.
Becoming Dr. Leah Powers听
Prior to beginning our interview, I had Powers pose for a portrait. As she sat in a chair that was lit perfectly by one of the Center for Academic Success and Engagement building's immense skylights, we talked about small things, big things, and all the other things in between.听
鈥淗ow does it feel to be finished,鈥� I asked as I adjusted my camera鈥檚 shutter speed, aiming to capture the light as it filtered onto her face.
鈥淚t feels surreal,鈥� she said, using her eyes to follow my camera as I moved to get a picture from her left, 鈥渁nd it also feels a little disorienting.鈥�
As we walked back into the small conference room I鈥檇 reserved for our interview on the third floor of the CASE building, Powers delved deeper into describing the mixed emotions of freedom and disorientation she was feelings after finally achieving the title of 鈥淒r. Leah Powers.鈥� After years of dedicating herself to this ultimate goal, she explained that finally being able to hold the tangible form of her success left her in a certain state of limbo, a place from which all doors to the future are open.听
The French Club creates decorations for a Mardi Gras themed event.
鈥淎fter my defense, it鈥檚 so clear-cut, I walked out of that room with a whole new title, and it was like a new chapter of my life had just begun,鈥� Powers said.
After gently closing the door behind us, Powers sat down opposite to me, positioning herself to have a prime view from the large windows in room E315 as I asked her questions about her life, her career, and her time at CU.
Making the way to CU
The year after she graduated with her undergraduate degree in French, Powers participated in the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). During her time as an English Teaching Assistant in the Bordeaux are of France, she began finding fulfillment in the classroom and was inspired to pursue further education. A Michigander by birth and a graduate of the Miami University of Ohio, her search for the perfect graduate program centered around finding two main factors: an enticing program and a desirable place to live.听
鈥淐U flew me out to have a visit and explore, and everyone I talked to was just really stoked about Boulder鈥� I just wanted to be living somewhere new, in the mountains, and, also, the French program was really generous,鈥� Powers said when describing why she accepted CU鈥檚 offer over the others that she鈥檇 received.听
A flyer created by Leah Powers advertising a Poetry Night hosted by the French Club.
One piece of the French M.A. and Ph.D. programs that really spoke to Powers is the ability to work in the classroom and teach classes as a part of their graduate studies. Powers was motivated to share the journey that she鈥檇 had throughout her academic career, and she wanted to give students the resources they needed to have a similarly fulfilling journey. 鈥淪ome graduate programs have such an emphasis on the research side of things鈥� but being in such close contact with undergrads is really important to knowing the culture of the university, and it keeps me in touch with French and the pedagogy of learning a second language,鈥� Powers said.
Finding success through curiosity
Success, as Powers sees it, is defined by an ability to be deeply curious. Even as she鈥檚 reached the end of her structured journey through academia, she emphasizes that remaining curious and asking questions is the first step towards succeeding. 鈥淭he biggest marker of success is recognizing how little you know, and you just work on becoming interested instead of trying to be interesting鈥� it has so much more to do with asking important questions,鈥� Powers said.
The 鈥淔rench鈥� team poses for a photo during the annual Italian department vs. French department soccer game.
She鈥檚 aware that this pursuit of success through curiosity is never really over. Although she鈥檚 achieved the goal of a tangible degree, it doesn鈥檛 mean that she鈥檒l stop being curious. In fact, as she looks towards the future, Powers hopes to build upon the work she鈥檚 done during her time at CU by expanding her horizons. With particular a particular interest in postdoctoral programs abroad, Powers also hopes to achieve goals that lie outside of her main academic and professional careers. With hopes of writing a children鈥檚 book and starting a newsletter, Powers is excited to take what she鈥檚 learned during her chapter at CU and apply it to the one that has just begun.
As the sun鈥檚 rays continued to make their way across through the window and across our table, we wrapped up our conversation, Power鈥檚 success as a student at CU. While she gathered her things to begin her short walk to the door, Powers shared one last piece of advice with me: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to celebrate the little wins along the way, any little glimmer of [hope] is worth celebrating because it鈥檚 few and far between sometimes.鈥澨�