I just wrapped up an intense academic year balancing a difficult pregnancy, dissertation completion (PhD in Ethnic Studies at University of California San Diego), being on the job market, and working as an adjunct with no maternity leave nor benefits. I worked on my dissertation, taught, went on interviews, and published while navigating a challenging pregnancy and near constant fatigue and illness. I did a campus visit interview the day before I went into labor, and then had a different campus job talk three weeks post-partum. Because I didn’t have accommodations as a lecturer at one of the two campuses I worked at last year, one week after giving birth with complications I was back in the classroom in front of students barely able to stand while my partner waited in the hall with a hungry baby. I defended my dissertation two months after giving birth to my son who attended my defense and I like to think was cheering mom on, though he might not remember this momentous occasion when he gets older. This year was incredibly hard and I wanted to give up constantly but after enduring the impossible I am grateful to have had two stellar job offers for similar visiting assistant professor positions at Research 1 campuses and will start my new VAP position in English at UC Santa Barbara in the fall.
If anyone wants to get in touch with Amrah her website is: