ABSTRACT
Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and third United States President, declared education to be a necessity for a free people. He famously pointed out that the nation “cannot be both ignorant and free”. He listed founding the University of Virginia as among his greatest contributions, along with the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming that all “are created equal”. Thus, in the history of the United States, education is deemed a vital and lofty endeavor, tied to the national interest and recognized as the lifeblood of democracy. Yet the journey into academic life reveals a not-so-lofty script for aspiring professors. Unknown pitfalls to the new PhD include devotion to academic hierarchy. This is one woman’s story.
