By Kat Claybaugh
Reflection
When I reflect on my Canal project, what most stands out to me now is the sense of accomplishment I felt when it was published, and the fond memories of the mentorship I received from Professor Ubelaker-Andrade throughout the process. He was incredibly supportive and thoughtful in his feedback and really challenged me to treat the writing and editing process as a craft. This publication really helped me overcome anxiety I felt when writing and speaking as a non-native Spanish speaker and hugely expanded my Spanish vocabulary within the world of my academic interests. I presented my Canal publication at a Gender Studies academic conference at UMass Lowell in the same semester it was published.
The research for my publication turned out to be extremely influential on my choice of Honors College Thesis. My Canal project focused on the historical context and socioeconomic impacts of NAFTA on the development of Chicana feminism, which ended up serving as background knowledge for my Honors College Thesis which studied the intersections of gender, immigration status, and English language proficiency in the lives of Latinx immigrant women in the Merrimack Valley. I also felt that the Canal process honed my skills in researching and editing and made the result of my Honors College Thesis more successful. Writing has always been a part of school I really enjoyed, and writing in Spanish rather than English created a new type of challenge that pushed me to consider every single word.
My publication in Canal led me to my Honors College Thesis, which inspired me to work in immigration law for a year after college. I worked as a paralegal and Spanish language translator in support of federal immigration litigation and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filings. While I have since left the world of immigration law, I am now studying for the LSAT and planning to pursue law school. My experience in immigration law helped me better understand the type of law I’m interested in pursuing. So, while Canal had a bit of a roundabout influence on my current professional and academic plans, it pushed me to take my Spanish proficiency to the next level and gave me direction toward pursuing professional experiences that are now informing career decisions almost a decade later.
I was initially very intimidated to pursue publishing in Canal, especially as a non-native Spanish speaker. Professor Ubelaker-Andrade was extremely encouraging, patient, and engaged throughout the process, and it helped me set down my imposter syndrome and take myself more seriously as an academic and Spanish speaker.
Read "Feminismo y TLCAN: Contextos para acción y activismo" Canal Issue II (2018).
Biographical Statement - Kat Claybaugh
Kat Claybaugh (they / them) studied Political Science, Spanish and Gender Studies at UMass Lowell. They now work as a political fundraising consultant for MissionWired in Washington, DC, working with high profile Senate campaigns and Democratic Organizations such as the Democratic National Committee (DNC). They plan to pursue their Juris Doctor (J.D.) in Corporate Law specializing in liability matters.