Category: Alumni

Ulises Garcia Jr., IRT ’21

This was the first question I was asked during my Statement of Purpose (SOP) Advisor interview. It is no secret that we are (and have been) living in trying times. Consequently, I believe the most appropriate way to advise as a form of justice is to acknowledge and appease to the humanity of others. Subsequently, I aimed to meet my advisees where they were at, practiced radical honesty, and challenged them to confidently speak to their strengths. I pulled lessons from my undergraduate journey, my own experience as an IRT advisee, and my graduate and professional learnings.

I remember reaching out to a mentor in undergrad for resume support and he said something that has stuck with me to this day. Before addressing any of his notes he said, “Ulises, I want you to know that I think writing is vulnerable and, therefore, you sharing your writing with me is honorable and I will treat it as such.” I was floored. I don’t know that I had experienced someone be so forward with their care about my writing before but I greatly appreciated that transparency. Writing is a reflection of thought processes put onto paper and asking for feedback is opening oneself up to being critiqued. Sharing drafts of SOP’s for 8 weeks is an act of vulnerability—it requires trust and it was imperative that I relayed that message to my advisees during our first introductory group meeting.