An early career academic examines her scholarly journey, complete with setbacks

What is it about?

In "Exceptance Letters" (playing with the idea of acceptance letters into higher education institutions), Mason chooses to share her educational highs and lows through letters to her former self at these moments of impact, and finds comparisons with the journey of coming out. Autoethnographic, arts-informed, and feminist methodologies are resonant, resulting in an awareness of problem-solving, resilience, and grace in forging an academic career.

Featured Image

Photo by Kate Macate on Unsplash

Photo by Kate Macate on Unsplash

Why is it important?

I offer understanding with learners who have encountered setbacks in pursuing an academic path, and share with them my challenges overcome with perseverance and humour. I hope this piece shows that educational dedication is complemented by experience, positive and negative, and barriers (in learning and life) have value for ongoing learning and development.