I just went back through my folders, and found the reviews I got back from my last submission for the NSF GFRP, and I reread my favorite line:
Under my "Overall Assessment of Broader Impacts", the last sentence from my first reviewer was this:
"She will bring unique perspective on the challenges faced by women scientists from single mother with young child. The personal statement is vague on her involvement in broader community activities."
When I first got this back 6 months or so ago, I thought, passively, "broader community activities? I'm a single parent, when am I supposed to participate in broader community activities?" And then later, slightly indignantly, "You just acknowledge that I am a single mother with a young child...and you want me more involved in community activities how?"
Now I am going to kill this question with resubmission. I mean, yeah, I'll work on the broader impacts section, but I'm going to make sure in my personal statement that I say, very clearly, in extra bold letters, You want to know my broader community activities? I'm raising a kid, by myself, that is about to watch her mother kick ass in graduate school. That is possibly the broadest community activity I could possibly be engaging in.
I did go back and reread my personal statement. I mention Lena (or the idea of her) so briefly in the last paragraph. (because I was too proud? Because I thought I had to do this without her?) I'm putting her front and center from now on. Sometimes I forget how important raising her is. And even how hard it's been. Sometimes it's the nicest thing in the world to hear someone say, I don't know how you do it. Because I don't know either. But it's so nice to be acknowledged. And for the people that don't get it? *cough*reviewer one*cough* I'm going to make them see that raising a smart, kind, inquisitive kid is probably one of the most important things in the world. Certainly the most important thing I'll ever do.
Impacting the community. *snort* I'll show them impacting the community.
Now I am going to kill this question with resubmission. I mean, yeah, I'll work on the broader impacts section, but I'm going to make sure in my personal statement that I say, very clearly, in extra bold letters, You want to know my broader community activities? I'm raising a kid, by myself, that is about to watch her mother kick ass in graduate school. That is possibly the broadest community activity I could possibly be engaging in.
I did go back and reread my personal statement. I mention Lena (or the idea of her) so briefly in the last paragraph. (because I was too proud? Because I thought I had to do this without her?) I'm putting her front and center from now on. Sometimes I forget how important raising her is. And even how hard it's been. Sometimes it's the nicest thing in the world to hear someone say, I don't know how you do it. Because I don't know either. But it's so nice to be acknowledged. And for the people that don't get it? *cough*reviewer one*cough* I'm going to make them see that raising a smart, kind, inquisitive kid is probably one of the most important things in the world. Certainly the most important thing I'll ever do.
Impacting the community. *snort* I'll show them impacting the community.
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