my purpose is this statement, this statement is my purpose...

What is a "statement of purpose"? How can one sum up one's "purpose" in a "statement" of less than 2 pages? How does one even know what one's "purpose" is? Well, you better figure it out if you intend on applying to grad school. Because this is what is asked of you. So I gave it a shot. The "statement of purpose" is also known as a "statement of professional goals" or a "personal statement". Basicly, it is your only chance to show the admissions committee who you are, what you want to do, adn why they should accept you and not the other guy/girl. So, here is what I came up with. I just hope it was enough to make me stand out. I won't know if I've been accepted for a couple of months but I will let you know!

Trista Akers
3/8/09
Statement of Purpose

The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, “It’s a girl.” –Shirley Chisholm

The above quote reflects my passion for women’s health because it names a fundamental way in which the medical industry treats women differently from birth. I first discovered the importance of this quote when I took a general education course at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) called “Women and Their Bodies” with Dr. Monica Lange. This class changed my perspective about the power of gender, sexuality, and race in cultural, historical, and medical discourses. Through this course I learned answers to questions I had never really asked myself before: Why am I unhappy with the way I look? Why don’t I know more about my menstrual cycle and how my own body works? Importantly, here in this course I also learned about feminism. Combining these two modes of knowledge, I found my passion and ambition: it is through a feminist perspective that I wish to bring awareness and education to women about their bodies and their health.
As I discovered during my first year in college, there is so much that women are systematically not taught about their bodies and their health in this country and most others, too. Too often the topics relating to this subject—like sex, body image, and reproductive rights—are considered taboo, and because of this factual information for women is not always accessible, much less easily accessible. These reasons, among personal experiences, have driven me to pursue a number of goals which I believe a Master’s in Women’s Health from Suffolk University will help me accomplish. First I wish to participate in the development of comprehensive sex education programs. Second, I intend to promote awareness about midwives and other alternate forms of childbirth experiences. Third I wish to effectively lobby and advocate for women’s health education for underprivileged women, through community outreach programs.
A specific personal experience that shaped my goals was facilitating for “Women and Their Bodies”. This class took a more unusual approach to talking about health care. We began to explore how sexism affects women’s body image, self-esteem, relationships and perpetuates systemic violence against women, among other important topics. For the first time in my life I was taught about my menstrual cycle in a thorough, “non-sugar-coated” way. I learned how to figure out when I was ovulating based on the texture of my vaginal discharge. I was warned about menstrual “sanitary” products that contain harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer. I learned more about my body and myself as a person in that class, than I ever learned up until that point. I was frustrated that I was never exposed to this kind of information earlier in my youth. Since then I have desired more knowledge and information about these topics. Indeed, I became hooked on the subject of women’s health; over the years, this interest has only grown stronger.
I became a peer facilitator for “Women and their Bodies” the following semester. I would facilitate a group of about 7-10 students on topics from the course. As the facilitator I developed skills in confidentiality and tolerance. My job was to keep the conversation on topic and to provide a feminist perspective on women’s health and body
issues that many students had never been exposed to before. One of the most significant
Trista Akers
3/8/09

topics we discussed was the impact of the media on body image and identity, particularly
for those who feel they do not meet the stereotypical, heterosexual beauty norms. We also examined why many women do not have regular breast and pelvic exams and how men and women experience the healthcare system differently. We discussed the myths surrounding contraception, abortion and sexually transmitted infections. And we addressed the complex relationship between gender socialization and issues such as sexualized violence and identity formation. I deeply believe that the unique experience of peer facilitation gave me more and more insight into how much education is sorely needed in the field of women’s health.
After facilitating groups of students every semester until I graduated, I knew I wanted to pursue a career that encouraged me to put my knowledge into action, illuminating others with important information that could empower them to achieve optimal health physically and mentally. I believe I would be both happy and successful promoting comprehensive sex education and women’s health awareness, especially considering that there is a dire need in our country for this information.
I’ve already begun to put my knowledge on women’s health into practice. In 2006, I participated in a roundtable discussion with Dr. Lange and other students at the National Women’s Studies Association’s annual conference in Oakland, CA, and the following year in Chicago, IL. Our discussions challenged the hegemonic ideology that locates virginity in a girl’s hymen and equates her intact hymen to innocence and purity. We deconstructed virginity pledge programs as a product of two costly federal programs that developed from the 1996 Welfare Reform Act: Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage education and the Healthy Marriages Initiative. We exposed the anti-woman and anti-LGBTQ motivation for advancing specific religious and political ideology. We also discussed the significant research findings that show abstinence-only education is not preventing young people from having sex, and is actually misinforming teens about the efficacy of condoms and birth control, if they are even mentioned at all. These conferences were my first experiences presenting what I have learned and am passionate about in a public arena.
My experiences with conference presentations and my women’s studies education have inspired me to continue my education in women’s health issues with the ultimate goal of participating in the formation of comprehensive sex education and community outreach programs. The combination of Dr. Ptacek’s interests in masculinity and violence as well as systemic gendered violence against women, along with Dr. Agigian’s focus on gender studies and LGBTQ studies are relevant to my own interests because they center on the intersections of health and human rights. I look forward to working with the experienced faculty. I believe a Master’s in Women’s Health from Suffolk University will give me the research and public speaking tools to help me establish a professional career in the field of women’s health education.