Discussing the intersection of career and heritage.
Sat Sri Akal (Greetings in the Punjabi-Sikh Tradition)
My name is Simran Kaur-Colbert and I am a proud APIDA PhD Candidate at Miami University. Through these series of blog posts, I will share my narrative on overcoming social stigmas along with positive and negative stereotypes as it pertains to determining my career interest in becoming a higher education professional. In particular, I discuss how my Punjabi-Sikh culture informs my research, service, and teaching interests as a PhD Candidate. My journey to a career in higher education was not linear and involved detours in and out of the private (Insurance/Finance) and public sector (Elementary School Education/Department of the Army).
Magandang araw! (“Good Day!” in Tagalog, National language of the Philippines)
I identify as a Filipina American, First Generation born in the United States of America and First Generation college student. My initial aspirations when going to college was to major in Nursing. Afterall, it is a family tradition to work in the healthcare industry. I have pictures of me playing doctor. I volunteered my summers to work in a local hospital. My Mom is a retired Pharmacist. I was born in the hospital that my Mom worked at. I thought it was my obligation and duty to my family to follow in their professional footsteps. I currently serve as the Director of Operations and Communications in the Center for Career Exploration & Success. I have worked at Miami University for almost 14 years cumulatively, with 5 years in the Career Center.