A little about me
Hi, I’m Chrystelle (Chrys for short). My pronouns are she/her. I am a Brooklyn native. I am a Cancer and Cell Biology PhD turned public health researcher studying Cancer-related Population Sciences. My hope is that you will learn a bit more about me and my experiences with graduate school, academia, social and scientific research, chronic illness, mental health, and my overall adulting journey.
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The real tea on grad school and academia.
Graduate school was a long, exhausting, and often isolating experience. I plan to be as frank as I can be about the highs and very many lows that I have had in graduate school and currently experience in academia.
Blog
GiveHerThePhD sans Endo
When I was first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2018, I followed a ton of endo blogs on Instagram, but I did not find very many blogs with folks that looked like me (black), let alone graduate students. I began this blog to share my story as a black STEM PhD candidate who was tired and ready to part ways with graduate school. I am continuing this blog as a way to document my journey post-grad school, as I continue to navigate my professional life while working to maintain my physical and mental health.
Dying to have my period, literally
Although I did not have my period and did not qualify to share period stories with the other girls, I still managed to relate to the stories about painful cramps that I overheard.
For at least a year before starting my period, I remember having monthly and extreme pelvic pain.
GiveHerThePhD sans endo
My grad school experience has completely changed my life. From the very beginning, it has been a journey full of trials and loops of fire. Dramatic? Yes, but these are definitely the facts. While I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue this degree and potentially uncover novel concepts in my field, I wonder if this journey was worth it. Immediately I would say no, it is definitely not worth it. However, not having completed the entire journey, the 10% optimistic in me says, maybe time will make it all worthwhile.
About me and my blog mission
First things first, I am a Brooklyn native. Now that I’ve got the obligatory “I’m from Brooklyn” statement out of the way, the following are a few more things about me:
I am a first-generation American, born to Caribbean immigrants.