Bruce Smith, Ph.D. Student Language, Literacy, and Culture Major: B.A., American Civilizations, Brown University / M.S, Education, Instruction, and Curriculum, University of Southern California Career Plans: University teaching Home: Upper Marlboro, MD

"It is important for prospective students to find and pursue meaningful projects that reflect their research interests and will keep them motivated during their time as graduate students."

My reasons for choosing Berkeley:
I chose Cal primarily because of its sterling reputation and the opportunity to work with outstanding faculty. Professor Herb Simon's work with student-athletes, and Professor Pedro Noguera's work with The Diversity Project reflected the work I had been doing as a teacher.

My current work:
I am coordinating the Student-Athlete to Student-Athlete (SATSA) tutoring/mentoring program, which pairs ninth grade football players from Berkeley High School with Cal football players. Berkeley's student-athletes teach the younger student-athletes strategies to help them succeed academically. The shared student-athlete identity contributes to the meaningful interactions that occur. Also, a level of caring that is all too uncommon in traditional learning environments characterizes the relationships between tutors and students. These two components contribute to the program's success.

My advice to prospective students:
It is important for prospective students to find and pursue meaningful projects that reflect their research interests and will keep them motivated during their time as graduate students. There are a multitude of opportunities both on and beyond the Berkeley campus that too few students take advantage of. In my case, my involvement with SATSA brought me in contact with a program developed largely by Berkeley High African-American parents called Parents of Children of African Descent (PCAD). Groups such as PCAD are very willing to collaborate with university students.

 

 

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