Tyler Hester
MPhil in Educational Research
What programme are you on / did you follow?
MPhil in Educational Research
What were your reasons for deciding to do the course?
I was drawn to the MPhil in Educational Research because of the flexibility that the program gave me to pursue my interests in the field of education. I am interested in justice, the politics of education, high stakes accountability systems, and multicultural theory. This program allowed me to create a compelling and rigorous combination of my relatively disparate interests through a combination of my work in the required courses and in the intense and fruitful engagement with my supervisor.
Why did you choose to do it at Cambridge?
While I was interested in Cambridge for a number of reasons, the prospect of working with the particular advisor that I chose motivated me to apply to Cambridge. Additionally, the quality of the Education Faculty in Cambridge is well known, and the resources at the University Library and the various colleges motivated me to apply. Moreover, the fact that The Gates Trust was willing to pay for my studies gave me the ability to put financial concerns aside and dive into my academic interests without reservation.
What have you gained from the course?
I gained a tremendous amount from my Mphil studies at Cambridge. I was able to explore a wide range of scholarship and then, over the course of the year, conduct research to test some of my developing theories to see whether the ideas that I was considering in the comfort of the University Library held up in classrooms and legislatures back in the United States. And while I am happy to have gained a number of new techniques that I am sure that I will use into the future, I am most thankful for the sense of mission and purpose that my studies instilled in me and for the wonderful friends and advisors with whom I was able to spend my time.
What have you gone on to do having finished the course?
I am currently an 8th grade English teacher in Pasadena, California. I was placed in this particular job through the Teach For America program.