TTestimonios de una Estudiante de Doctorado: Regaining Joy in Graduate School through Research-Practice Partnerships

Authors

• Sophia Piral Lee, Independent AuthorFollow

Abstract

Through an epistolary critical autoethnography and Latina and Chicana feminist framework, I explore the question of how international graduate students of color can overcome cultural, linguistic, ethnoracial, and social class isolation on predominantly white campuses and in college towns. By writing a letter to my mother (one of my methods for survival in academia), I share my challenges as a Guatemalan, first-time mom, first-generation college student, international student, and non-English native speaker in graduate school during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, this writing helps me recognize how I overcame my isolation and regained my joy and purpose in my doctoral program by working in two research-practice partnerships and community engagement, and by utilizing the resources available on campus (e.g., counseling, mentorship, and faculty support).

Keywords

epistolary autoethnography, international students of color, graduate school, research practice partnership, COVID-19

Author Bio(s)

Sophia Piral Lee is an international scholar and doctoral candidate in the U.S. Her research interests include community-based work, research, and education focused on promoting holistic well-being for poblaciones vulneradas. Please direct correspondence to sophiapiral@gmail.com

Acknowledgements

To my mom, and to all the incredible women in my life—thank you.

Publication Date

4-27-2026

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended APA Citation

Piral Lee, S. (2026). Testimonios de una estudiante de doctorado: Regaining joy in graduate school through research-practice partnerships. The Qualitative Report, 31(4), 5662-5685. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2026.8170

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7751-550X