Jacquelyn Chin is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology working under Dr. Tania Israel. She worked in the African American Studies department at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Black Child and Family Lab. Her research focuses on interventions towards internalized stigma among queer Black and Latinx communities. Jackie’s life goal is for Black queer and GSM groups to have access to mental health resources. She is a Fulbright student, serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Argentina. Outside of the department, Jacquelyn remains involved with p0stb1nary, a collective of Black trans and non-binary creatives that holds space for resisting all binary systems.
GGSE: How have you been spending time during the campus shutdown?
Chin: I’ve been doing yoga, going on hikes, and, most recently, learning to skateboard. I love going to the beach, biking around campus, painting, and journaling. I’m a part of a few Mentorship programs, and I’m the Secretary of BGSA. More recently, I started TAing in Black studies, so I’m adjusting to the campus community and trying to find a good work-life balance!
GGSE: How has your experience as a Fulbright student impacted you?
Chin: I’m excited to start my Fulbright in July! They had to push back our grant dates because of the pandemic, which was initially frustrating. But I’m looking forward to living in Argentina, teaching English, and improving my Spanish fluency. I think this will make me a more culturally responsive and capable practitioner for Latinx clients.
GGSE: Has your experience in p0stb1nary and other creative spaces informed your studies and goals? How so?
Chin: Being a part of that collective has really helped me to challenge myself to be more active and to engage critically with community and discourse. I’m an artist at heart, but as a Ph.D. student, it’s hard to make time for artistic outlets. Still, feeling connected to a community of Black queer, trans, and nonbinary artists makes me feel validated and ask better research questions. I really hope to get more funding for this organization, as their work truly supports the lives of Black trans artists necessary for communal healing.
GGSE: Who, living or dead, do you most admire?
Chin: There are so many! Right now it’s between Toni Morrison and Trixie Mattel. Toni Morrison has impacted me with her writing for years and her book Sula stays with me, as I think daily about what it means to be a writer, an independent thinker, and of course, a Black femme. Trixie Mattel is a drag queen who is hilarious, eccentric, and very weird. Her confidence inspires me to stay true to myself and my artistic decisions, which applies both to my work in academia and my everyday life. I also have to mention my community back home: leaders in my church, First Baptist Church of Glenarden, mentors at Howard University, and my family who inspire me daily to keep improving. I admire them most of all.