One of the things Chandice Haste-Jackson likes best about being a doctoral student in child and family studies is the opportunity to teach. As a graduate assistant, she has accompanied faculty members in the classroom and taught a course on her own. “I love working with students, supporting their intellectual development,” she says. “I have come to find I have a talent for teaching.”

It’s a talent that will serve her well in the future—she plans to pursue a career in higher education. And it’s a talent she credits Syracuse University with helping her develop. “I had a great preparation,” she says. “I wasn’t just thrown in there and expected to start teaching. I had excellent mentors in my professors. I got hands-on experience. I was taught all the things I needed to know—from choosing textbooks to grading to counseling students. I really felt ready when it was time for me to teach.” She also took part in SU’s Future Professoriate Program, which prepares doctoral students for careers in academia through a focus on teaching, research, writing, and workshop development.

Chandice’s involvement in research has also enhanced her educational experience. In fact, it was what she calls “the balance of teaching and research” that drew her to the program. She has assisted professors with their research, and also conducted her own study on adolescent mothers, the results of which she presented at the annual conference of the National Council on Family Relations. Currently, she is working with faculty from child and family studies and Syracuse’s SUNY Upstate Medical University on a study of childbirth, spirituality, and fatherhood, which will eventually become the focus of her dissertation.

In addition to being a student, Chandice is employed full-time as the director of community services for Syracuse’s Southwest Community Center, where she is responsible for all of the organization’s programming. She says she will continue her ties to community work in the future, even after she enters academia. Like her work with students, community work allows her to give back. “I think it’s important to make a commitment to service,” she says. “To be well-rounded, you need to share what you’ve learned. It empowers you. And there are so many opportunities to share. It’s a tremendous experience.”