The Liberate Your Research Workshop was super helpful to me. I learned to take steps to overcome feeling overwhelmed and unqualified to conduct my research and I identified a name for my approach. Nadine’s work is critical for those of us marginalized by academia.
Nadines’ workshop provided a grounding, practical and tangible approach to affirming one’s’ natural knowledge as credible and supported participants in finding academic language that further frames our work.
I am still enjoying and appreciating the sense of liberation the workshop, time, and community circle created at the workshop provided to me. For a long time, I was not sure if I could do this research well. I wanted to counter the stress and anxiety. So often, I wandered around my research goals, not towards them. I will always think of the powerful moments that motivated me during Nadine’s workshop whenever I encounter the “wall” that prohibits me from moving forward.
Writing my book, I struggled to put forward my arguments beyond their intersections with my own experience as a Palestinian immigrant woman. When Dr. Naber read drafts of my book chapters, her gracious encouragement, comments, and suggestions led me to bluntly assert my ideas and gave me self-confidence as a scholar and researcher. She encouraged me to claim my voice without diffidence.
Nadine’s workshop helped me liberate my inner voice. I found the workshop to be uplifting. Nadine reminded me of one of the main reasons why I entered academia: to empower my community. The reminder gave me strength to persevere and see the beauty within my community and my work.
After I did the workshop with Nadine in the summer of 2020, I’ve been soaring, and I really hope I can now write a book that is off the charts!
Working with Nadine has completely improved the quality of my life. She’s helped me get unstuck and move forward in writing my book. Just as importantly, though, we’ve been addressing the deep seated issues that led to getting stuck in the first place. I’m totally grateful for her guidance and holistic approach to not only writing but navigating the academy as a woman of color.
Working with Dr. Naber has transformed my relationship with writing. Her strength-based approach has empowered me in the very demanding path of academia. Editors often give brief feedback about changes needed, but without the proper skills to execute the changes, writing can feel like a devastating process. Dr. Naber, in the first hour alone of working together, helped me to grasp basic writing techniques with the goal of amplifying my voice with clarity, and to be proud of it! She starts our meetings by outlining my skills, which has supported me with recognizing that I am producing good work. She then slowly goes over areas that need improvement. Her method of simplifying writing flaws by breaking them down, and speaking in terms that I understand, is extremely effective. This approach aids me to not focus on the negative aspects of my writing as it’s sum. Through Dr. Naber’s support I now get excited about making changes to my work because I am finally able to articulate my thoughts through my writing. As an academic of color, who has felt overwhelmed by academia, it has been empowering to work with someone who is invested in my success. It truly feels like we are a team working towards one goal. I look forward to each meeting with Dr. Naber knowing that she will help me become a better writer.
This workshop was unlike anything I’ve attended before. It made me feel I have direction for how to center myself around my personal goals, and integrate them into my theoretical and methodological framework. I feel simultaneously inspired and grounded, which is thrilling.
I am incredibly grateful for Nadine’s workshop. As someone coming back to academia after more than 13 years, it deeply energized me and helped me get over some of the insecurities one has when feeling a bit out of place. I am already using some of the tools Nadine suggested to think through how and what I want to do with my research.
