Jenn Griffin, MAPSS’25

“[The Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS)] has opened so many doors for me. I intend to pursue a PhD, but if not, I know that thanks to the resources at UChicago then I will be able to transition into teaching or into another career path,” shares Jenn Griffin, MAPSS’25. Now an Employer Relations Coordinator at UChicagoGRAD, Griffin was initially drawn to MAPSS due to its interdisciplinary nature. 

During her time in MAPSS, Griffin found many rewarding courses. Some that stood out to her include: Radical Readings in Latin America with Professor Sergio Delgado Moya; Perspectives in Social Science and Historical Methods for the Social Sciences with Professor Deirdre Lyons; and Proseminar in Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity with Professor Adam Green. Griffin identifies her favorite part of MAPSS as being her work with her professors and the readings they assigned. “I grew so much in this program thanks to the readings that we engaged in,” Griffin shares. 

Outside of the mentioned courses, Griffin also worked with Professors Lyons and Green on her thesis: “The Double-Bind of 90s Black Youth: Systemic Divestment in Chicago and Popular Perceptions of Black Youth”. “My thesis explored the ways in which the "Master Narrative" (Natsu Saito Taylor) was confronted by community-based resistance of the Black community in Chicago between 1970s and 1990s,” shares Griffin. 

Looking to the future, Griffin hopes to pursue a PhD and a law degree. Then, Griffin shares, “I will be a high school teacher or a professor and I will continue to engage directly in mutual aid efforts in my community. I have already started a nonprofit, and am working on expanding these opportunities/my ideas to low-income students in the suburbs (who experience a notable lack compared to their middle-class peers).” 

In terms of wisdom for future MAPSS students, Griffin has a lot of solid advice. She highlights the importance of having a schedule and figuring out what helps improve your mental health and doing that as often as you need. “I had to play piano for 1 hour a day and take a walk in nature (at least 30 min),” Griffin shares. However, the most important piece of her advice is probably “Be kind and gracious to yourself. [...] Take the time you need.”