My name Sadichccha Pokharel and I was engaged as a Research and Communications Intern at the Aga Khan University's Graduate School of Media and Communication in the Summer of 2018.
I worked on several literature reviews, and I helped put together a course syllabus at GSMC. The literature and project management skills that I gained during my placement has helped me to be successfully recruited at the UN Women Nepal as a Communications Consultant and as a Teacher’s Assistant.
I have always wanted to pursue a Ph.D. and during my placement, I pitched my Ph.D. research idea to my mentor, Prof Rhonda Breit and she helped me to refine my topic and guided me through the process of coming up with a proposal. She got me in touch with academics who were working in my research area, provided feedback on my Ph.D. proposal and she also wrote me letters of recommendation for my Ph.D. applications. I am now on the verge of completing my Ph.D. in Feminist and Gender Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada.
Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try new things! My mentor gave me the little push that I needed during my internship placement to convert my research idea into an actual proposal and explore Ph.D. programmes. Had I not worked with would probably have not ended up pursuing a Ph.D.
