Degrees of Difference: Reflections of Women of Color on Graduate School

With this collection of essays, McKee (integrative, religious, and intercultural studies, Grand Valley State Univ.; Disrupting Kinship) and analyst Delgado fill a void in literature on higher education. Not only do they focus on graduate rather than undergraduate students, they also explore the experiences of women of color, who have long been marginalized in this sphere. The essays span myriad disciplines and varied types of graduate programs. One contributor discusses the labor of caring for parents, children, and partners while also obtaining an education. Another examines the impact of impostor syndrome and microaggressions, as well as ways to combat these challenges. An especially vivid piece looks at importance of community- and relationship-building as the author explores methods for combating isolation in academia. Though these essays are works of scholarship, the authors imbue their writings with an intimate, heartfelt tone.