Megan R. Flannery

As someone who was raised Catholic, service to others was a central part of my upbringing. Whether it was modeled by my family or a component of my education, service was integral. My father’s number one rule for his children was (and continues to be) take care of each other. My mother seemed to apply that rule to everyone she met. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where we always hosted extra guests on holidays so no one would be alone, a home where our friends could always stop by if they needed a safe space and a meal, a home where it wasn’t enough just to focus on yourself. To be a part of a community was to give back to the community.

While I volunteered at a handful of organizations between high school and undergrad, I didn’t find a cause truly close to my heart until graduate school. After my own experience with sexual assault, I began to advocate for other survivors. I never wanted a survivor to go through the same experience I did where they felt alone. Since my expertise was in English and Communication, I started by running educational workshops and speaking to audiences primarily made up of college students. Eventually, I ended up volunteering as a Sexual Assault Response Advocate, supporting survivors in the immediate aftermath of their assault.

Beyond my volunteer work and occasional speaking appearances, I began integrating my advocacy into my research. I’ve dedicated most of my graduate studies to examining sexual assault survivors and their experiences. Working with (and for) survivors is really the only career I’d explore outside of academia. Both provide me with the opportunity to research, to educate, and to advocate.

As I continue my job search, I find it interesting (though not surprising) the amount of overlap between being a college instructor and being a victim advocate or response coordinator. Working with diverse groups of people and being culturally informed, staying up to date with the latest findings and developments, planning and delivering presentations and workshops, and serving others.