Soph Day, a PhD student and Higher Education Academic, join us to share their experience.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Soph (she/they) and I’m currently studying at York St John University as a PhD student. I’m also the Faith in Action Project Worker for Theology and Resources here at SCM, but I’m going to talk about my calling to academia and higher education today. I started at SCM in September 2024 after finishing my Masters in ‘Religion in Society’ and was already in the process of applying for a PhD position at the time. I started my PhD in February and have been doing it alongside my work at SCM since. My PhD focuses on intersectional inclusion, queer theology, and queer experiences within the Church of England. I have a background in the United Reformed Church, and am a queer, working-class, gender non-conforming person.
What role do you currently have?
I am currently a PhD student, which means I am in the process of writing my thesis to add to the communal knowledge. I spend a lot of my time reading about different methodology and reviewing different literature to see how helpful it is for my overall arguments. From February next year, I am going to start teaching on some undergraduate and Masters courses, which is where I really feel called to be. I have wanted to teach for a long time, and I feel called to teach in a university setting.
How did you decide to work for your current organisation?
Before going to university, I thought I wanted to be a high school teacher, and I was planning on doing teacher training after I’d graduated from my undergraduate degree. It wasn’t until my second year, when I did some work experience, that I realised I wanted to teach in a university setting. Part of a second year module, called ‘Work Related Learning’, I spent time as a research assistant for one of my tutors. I really enjoyed it, spending time helping her with her upcoming research, learning more about the research project, and being a small part of adding to communal knowledge made me feel excited, and when the research was published, I was thrilled to see how it all came together. It was after that work experience I knew I wanted to pursue academia.
What attracted you to the current organisation you currently work at?
Though I technically don’t work for York St John University currently, I have done in the past, and have studied there since I was an undergraduate. What attracted me to YSJ originally was the diversity of the undergraduate course. I studied ‘Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics’ as an undergraduate, and really loved the mixture of modules on offer, and how they all focused on contemporary, global contexts. I enjoyed the mixture of Christian theology, feminist ethics, and political action we explored in my three year course. Within the department, there is also a strong commitment to social justice and trade unionism, which appeals to me on a personal level. I knew this was the place for me to study and continue to study at YSJ today, 5 years after I first started as an undergraduate.
How do you feel called to your role?
The gifts I have are best used in the academic work I do. To take complex ideas, knowledge, and perspectives, and grasp an understanding of them, and then sharing that knowledge is how I feel called to be. I hope my work will bring about more activists, campaigners, community leaders, and more people who want to share knowledge.
How does your faith help you in the challenges you face at work?
There is always a level of uncertainty with academic work. It takes so long to produce an article or publication about a topic, you worry by the time its published, its already out of date, or things have changed. You also have a lot of pressure to always be writing to get published, and to be networking with anyone and everyone related to your field. Though this can be demanding at times, I find comfort in knowing that I was given my gifts for this purpose. I know I am working towards communal knowledge, and that I can facilitate the sharing of knowledge in my role.
What advice would you give to someone trying to discern their vocation?
Ask yourself ‘what interests me’ and ‘what do I care about’. There is a huge scope of what vocations you can follow and that can align with your interests. Seek out opportunities in the area you care about and carve that role to fit you and your interests. Do not be fearful of trying new things and changing roles, you will find one that suits you best. Always stick by your gifts and never let anyone tell you ‘you can’t’.