Joining this Community of Care
We are almost through my first semester as the new program assistant for the Digital Humanities Initiative, and I still haven’t written my first blog post.
For the last month, I've been trying not to feel ashamed about my performance in my role as the new Program Assistant for the Digital Humanities Initiative, but this refrain keeps replaying itself in my head. I’ve got good reasons for falling behind. A dear friend was in and out of the hospital for a month. I had a few personal and family emergencies at the same time. Plus, of course, grad school. I’m burnt out. My responsibilities in this new role have been taking the brunt of it.
At any of my past jobs, I would have been reprimanded by now, if not fired. And yet, what I have found here is care. Dr. Sureshi Jayawardene and Dr. Pam Lach, my new supervisors and mentors, check in to see if I’m alright and if they can offer support. They have not pushed me to do more than I’m capable of right now. This response is nearly inconceivable to me. I’ve only ever been a service industry employee, relentlessly tracked and monitored and told I’m not giving enough of my life to The Company.
I knew that the Digital Humanities community at SDSU focuses on humanity. That’s part of why I wanted this job so badly. I knew some of the folks at the DH Center and the DH Initiative before they became my colleagues. I was introduced to this community by Dr. Jessica Pressman form her Digital Humanities class last spring. Her class emphasized analysis of the human elements that created this digital age. She has been understanding about my struggles this semester. My friend Raine, another student of Dr. Pressman and a DH Center colleague, has been another source of support. Raine gave me a lot of encouragement while I applied and interviewed for the job. I’ve seen Raine and other student aides at the DHC try to help tidy up after their classes there, because they know and love the place so much. I’ve seen Patrick, the DH Center Programs & Operations Specialist, remind them not to work when they’re not on the clock and getting paid. After all of that evidence of care, I’m not sure why I expected this to be just like all my other past employment experiences.
My predecessor, Kasside, did an incredible job as the DHI Program Assistant. If you’ve visited our social media pages or other DH Blog posts, you know her work. The interviews she conducted and posted helped me gain greater respect for the DH community members and their ethos. She interviewed me a few times for the Instagram page, which made me feel included in the community when I was still new to it. She also made a series of training videos for future PAs, something that few people will ever get to see or acknowledge. These have been particularly invaluable for me as I learn the ropes. The enthusiasm and care she has shown inspires me.
I have been thinking a lot about what I want my impact to be in this position. My mentors have encouraged me to bring my own personal interests and skills to this role. I’m getting my MFA in creative writing, and I have been learning how to write hypertextual electronic literature. I have experience making short videos for social media. I want to pick up where Kasside left off, regarding blogs and socials. I also want to try building new skills, like networking and community building. This is definitely the place for that. Most of all, I want to show the same care for this community that is has shown to me. The attention and patience I’ve received here makes me want to lean in, work harder, and help this community grow.
