Katherine Miles, MAPSS and EDSO

Katherine Miles is a current Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) student pursuing the Education and Society (EDSO) certificate from Chicago, Illinois. Miles was previously a high school teacher. While teaching will always be a passion, she’s now interested in research and pursuing a PhD. “I would like to teach at the highest level, and continue to do research at the same time,” shares Miles. “I am interested in how politics affect learning in the classroom setting. My thesis will revolve around teacher censorship as a result of the current US political climate,” says Miles. 

As a former teacher, Miles has tons of great advice for future MAPSS applicants and students. “I like to set goals for myself - they can be as small as reading through all of my emails to make sure I'm not missing opportunities and then sorting them so they don't get lost into the email inbox abyss [...] and completing them fully. This makes me feel accomplished and more confident to complete other tasks!” explains Miles. 

“I also think that UChicago is a vibrant, busy place. We all come from different backgrounds - embrace that and learn from the people around you,” she says. That said, she also notes that it can be easy to fall into an ‘imposter syndrome’ mindset. To that end she says, “remember that you're here for a reason, and you get the chance to do some cool things. Give yourself some grace, take a breath, and do something for yourself every day! Everybody deserves a lil' treat once in a while.”