Nicholas Sobecki’s Donate-to-Dissertate Drive

Hey There!

My name is Nick Sobecki and I am a PhD candidate at The University of Alabama’s Department of Political Science . If you didn’t already know, a PhD candidate is someone that has passed their comprehensive exams and successfully defended their dissertation prospectus. All a candidate has left to complete is to research and write their dissertation and then defend it.

Thank you for taking the time and energy to visit my fundraising page and consider donating to my "Donate-to-Dissertate Drive!" I am requesting that you participate in crowdfunding my last year of the PhD program so that I can focus on finishing and defending my dissertation this semester, Fall 2021; spend more time applying for jobs; work on secondary research projects; and progress towards becoming the best-version-of-myself through personal growth.

 

[A promotional video will be uploaded here in the coming days!]

 

How Can You Help Me?

1. Donate money to assist me in meeting each of my funding tiers. You can donate to me here on my crowdfunding page; by mailing donations to my current mailing address (1831 University Station, Mail Stop Code 205777, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487) [UA Campus Mail Service Website – Ignore the “District #”]; sending donations over Venmo (@nksobecki), or via PayPal (paypal.me/NicholasSobecki [link])

2. Share my story and fundraising information with your friends, family, network, organization, and/or the public via your social media accounts, word of mouth, email, text, other creative ways, etc. [Please use these hashtags: #GoFundNicholasSobecki; #DonateToDissertate; #NicholasSobeckiDonateToDissertate. Be sure to follow, retweet me, and @ me when posting to support me (in order of most often used): Twitter (@nicholassobecki), LinkedIn (Nicholas K. Sobecki), Instagram (@nicholassobecki), and Facebook (Nicholas Sobecki).]

3. All of the above!

[I just noticed that looks like a multiple choice test but with only three possible answers. HINT: They're all correct!]

PLUS! Donation Perks!

If you contribute a certain amount to my crowdfunding campaign, then I'll make sure you receive one of the following perks based on your contribution level*:

• $1-$99: Anonymously thanked on my social media accounts and in the acknowledgements section of my dissertation.
• $100-$199: Personal thank you card or email (your choice and only if provided to me) sent to you by me. [Plus $1-$99 perks.]
• $200-$499: Thanked by social media handle or name (your choice or depending on which is provided to me) on my social media accounts. [Plus $1-$99 and $100-$199 perks.]
• $500+: Thanked by name in the acknowledgements section of my dissertation. [Plus all previous perks.]

 

Who I Am.

 

[I'm the one on the right. Jay, my friends' dog, says, "Hi!"]

 

I currently hold a BA in English from Indiana University -Bloomington, an MA in European Studies from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and an MA in Political Science from The University of Alabama .

When I’m not working on my dissertation, I enjoy long distance running and working out with my girlfriend, cooking new meals, creative writing, reading, watching anime, and playing tabletop roleplaying games. If it’s not obvious by now, I am a healthy nerd.

 

[Yes, I really did run a marathon years ago (see the headband), and I'm working back up to running a 5K in the fall and plan to be participating in obstacle races by next year!]

 

I value people and my connections with them and I think that people are the most important things in this world. I also greatly value education. I think everyone should have access to a good education so that they are prepared to seize opportunities.

 

Why I'm Requesting You Crowdfund Me.

There were difficulties and challenges that arose during my graduate career and I've had to work hard to fund my studies and live a healthy and fulfilling life.

I worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and academic advisor for one year (08/2015-05/2016), an Instructor of Record design and teaching my own courses for four years (08/2016-05/2020), and a Graduate Community Director in running a residential hall for Housing and Residential Communities for 1 year (08/2020-05/2021) in order to pay for my schooling. These positions take a lot of time and energy to prepare for and do well in. I am thankful I had those positions for both the experiences and funding.

 

[Using my dialogical pedagogy/andragogy that I developed I would often fill up the whiteboards in the classroom with the help of my students. Here, students were learning about important, foundational concepts in PSC 204 International Relations.]

 

I use qualitative data gathering and analysis methods. I spent 40 days in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, VA interviewing current and former military and civilian personnel and running a focus group to gather original data. I then spent a semester using phone and Skype calls to continue conducting interviews. Around the same time that I was gathering my data the first impeachment process of former President Donald Trump was taking place, which probably led to many of my initial contacts to cancel or avoid being interviewed by me towards the end, making getting interviews more difficult. Qualitative data gathering and analyses often take more time than other projects, so it is not uncommon for the average Ph.D. with a qualitative project to take 6-8 years to graduate. This will be my seventh and final year.

 

[On my days off during my fieldwork in Washington, D.C. I made sure to go out and support the U.S. Women's National Team in the soccer World Cup! To save money I often walked on the bike path near my AirBNB.]

 

I also became quite sick this year and was hospitalized twice (once in January and once in February). At the same time, my girlfriend contracted some mysterious disease that multiple doctors and specialists have been unable to identify. As her partner, I do my best to always be there for her especially given that she does not have a car and needed to travel to three different cities to attend appointments.

 

 

I have also been facing a challenging set of life circumstances during most of my Ph.D. career. Our teaching fellowship stipends are only a few thousand dollars above the poverty line (approximately $13,500-$14,440 when I was a GTA) and the first-year Graduate Community Director stipend is only $650/month for a 10 months contract. As a Community Director, I received a scholarship to pay for an apartment in my residence hall; however, housing scholarships get taxed. In order to supplement my income, I applied for and have been receiving SNAP benefits, or Food Stamps, off and on for the last two years, worked as a tutor for four semesters, and have applied for a number of internal and external travel and research grants.

While the first two years were hard, I started facing increasingly difficult personal and life challenges at the beginning of my third year. These have included personal health issues, a poor standard of living, the death of one of my grandmothers, and the worsening of my other grandmother’s Alzheimer’s and dementia symptoms. As research and students will tell you, such hurdles greatly impact one’s ability to work and study, which I was doing while also attempting to make headway on my dissertation.

 

 

[Me with one of my grandmothers and my brother celebrating St. Patrick's Day a few years ago, which was a big deal at my brother's old university. Grandma knew how to have a good time!]

 

What I'm Requesting Be Funded: A Detailed Budget! [OR The Nitty Gritty Money Stuff...y]

I will be able to fully support myself and focus on completing my dissertation by October 10, 2021 and defending by December 7, 2021 before I graduate in early May 2022; presenting my work at conferences and to potential future employers; and working on secondary publications only if I reach my final funding goal (including the Bonus Tier). These activities beyond the dissertation are imperative to my being able to successfully apply for a job as the being able to show that I have passed my dissertation defense when I apply for a job, the number of academic publications I have, and the network I build are all key components on and off the academic job market. Assisting me in reaching the first two funding tiers will relieve stress and financial burdens that will help give me peace of mind as well as fully fund my studies. Assisting me in reaching the third, bonus, tier will all but guarantee my ability to attain employment after I graduate. I am currently applying to be reclassified as an in-state student, which would help lower costs; however, the process is not easily navigated and it may not work.

[NOTE: Donation goals may be higher in an attempt to accommodate GoFundMe's donation fees per their instructions.]

Tier 1: Living Expenses (Peace of Mind)

• Food: $3,000 [This will allow me to get off SNAP, or Food Stamps, because any money I receive during this campaign will be considered income. So, the first donations have to go to food expenses.]
• Medical Expenses (personal estimate): $1,000
• Transportation (university's estimate): $2,206
• Renter's and Car Insurance (1 year): $2,554.08
• TOTAL: $8,760.08

Tier 2: Financial Independence Expenses (Write That Dissertation!)

• 1 Year Out-of-State Tuition (minimum credit hours): $6,200
• University Fees (university's estimate): $800
• University Health Insurance (last year's cost): $2,076
• Rent & Utilities (living with a roommate): $3,960
• Miscellaneous (university's estimate): $2,464
• TOTAL: $15,500

Bonus Tier: Conferences, Invited Presentations, & Secondary Research

1. American Political Science Association (APSA) and the International Studies Association (ISA) Joint International Security-International Security Studies Section (IS-ISSS) Conference:

• Flight: $275
• Hotel: $744
• Rideshare: $114
• Food: $96
• Conference Fee: $150
• University of Alabama, Graduate School & Department of Political Science Conference Domestic Travel Grant: --$1,000
• TOTAL [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc. Travel Grant pending funds and estimates the maximum funding available for a single, domestic conference]: $379

2. ISA Annual Conference:

• Gas: $34
• Hotel: $1,100
• Parking: $142
• Food: $260
• Conference Fee: $150
• TOTAL [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc.]: $1,379

[NOTE: The following invited presentations are offers pending progress made on the dissertation.]

3. U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI (Invited Presentation):

• Flight: $345
• Lodging: $465
• Car Rental/Rideshare: $529
• Food: $144
• TOTAL [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc.]: $1,483

4. U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, PA (Invited Presentation):

• Flight: $293
• Lodging: $300
• Car Rental/Rideshare: $378
• Food: $120
• TOTAL [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc.]: $1,091

5. U.S. Air University, Montgomery, AL (Invited Presentation):

• Driving & Parking (personal vehicle): $34.21
• Lodging: $350
• Food: $160
• TOTAL [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc.]: $544.21

6. Secondary Research Travel to Access the National Archives, Washington, D.C. & College Park, MD (Archival Research)

• Flight: $175
• Lodging: $367.84
• Metro/Bus Fare: $136.80
• Food: $251.43
• TOTAL: [Costs estimated based on current, projected, or previous prices, fees, etc.]: $931.07

 

Tier 1 Total: $8,760.08

Tier 2 Total: $15,500

Bonus Tier Total: $6,114.28

 

Must Meet Total (Tiers 1 & 2): $24,260.08

All Tiers Total: $30,374.36

 

[The goal is to get me looking like this everyday!: Working on my dissertation after a post-workout shower!]

 

Wondering How I'm Going To Accomplish My Goals With Your Help? [OR How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Dissertation]

Dissertation Completion Plan

I am using Scrum and the Pomodoro Technique to better manage my dissertation project and time, respectively, by completing manageable chunks in weekly sprints and reviewing my progress to create a viable end product as soon as possible. I plan on finishing a completed draft of my dissertation by the end of August 2021 and submitting my final draft to my dissertation co-chairs by October 10, 2021. They will need between October 10-31 to read the entire dissertation. With their permission I will send individual chapters to my dissertation committee members to get feedback. I will turn in my final revision on November 7, 2021. The dissertation committee will have a reading period between November 7-29, 2021. I will defend my dissertation sometime between November 29 and December 3, 2021. Oftentimes, candidates are given revisions to make by the dissertation committee. I will have until December 23, 2021 to complete those revisions and turn in the dissertation for final approval. After receiving approval, I will have my department upload the proper paperwork between December 4, 2021 and January 18, 2022. I will upload my dissertation to ProQuest and apply to graduate after the forms are submitted. I will then graduate in early May 2022.

 

Data Preservation Plan

My data will be hosted by The University of Alabama on the platform UA+Box, and I will have lifetime access to the system.**

 

Research Communication Plan

I have several audiences in mind for my research, and you're included in one or more of them. In terms of government personnel and policymakers, I plan on teaching relevant courses at a graduate program at a Professional Military Education institute (such as Air University down at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama). I also plan on publishing my research in open access, military academic journals (such as Joint Forces Quarterly, which is published by the National Defense University). For fellow academics, I will publish my research in both open-access and subscription-based academic journals. For the public, as well as the other two audiences, I plan on publishing at least one book based on my dissertation research that is accessible to everyone. I will also continue to give presentations on my work and plan on doing so at academic and military conferences, professional conferences, as well as through more accessible mediums (e.g., TED Talks, media interviews, YouTube, etc.). I also plan on publishing in or on more easily accessible platforms, such as writing essays, op-eds, and research articles for relevant websites, newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.

 

Reminder: What Can You Do To Help Me?

 

["No, Mikan, that is not helpful. Achoo!"]

 

1. Donate money to assist me in meeting each of my funding tiers. You can donate me here on my crowdfunding page; by mailing donations to my current mailing address (1831 University Station, Mail Stop Code 205777, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487) [LINK : A “District #” isn't needed]; sending donations over Venmo (@nksobecki), or via PayPal (paypal.me/NicholasSobecki [LINK ])

2. Share my story and fundraising information with your friends, family, network, or the public via your social media accounts, word of mouth, email, text, posters, etc. [Please use these hashtags: #GoFundNicholasSobecki; #DonateToDissertate; #NicholasSobeckiDonateToDissertate. Be sure to follow, retweet me, and @ me when posting to support me (in order of most often used): Twitter (@nicholassobecki), LinkedIn (Nicholas K. Sobecki), Instagram (@nicholassobecki), and Facebook (Nicholas Sobecki).]

3. All of the Above

 

Reminder: Donation Perks

• $1-$99: Anonymously thanked on my social media accounts and in the acknowledgement section of my dissertation.
• $100-$199: Personal thank you card or email (your choice) sent to you by me. [Plus $1-$99 perks.]
• $200-$499: Thanked by social media handle or name (your choice or depending on which is provided) on my social media accounts. [Plus $1-$99 and $100-$199 perks.]
• $500+: Thanked by name in the acknowledgements section of my dissertation. [Plus all previous perks.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I reserve the right to withhold a "Donation Perk" for any reason. Making a contribution in no way guarantees the receival of a "Donation Perk."

**Unfortunately, I am unable to share my qualitative data as a perk due to the need to protect my interviewees' identities through the protocols I put in place under the guidance of The University of Alabama's Institutional Review Board (IRB) in order to get permission to conduct what is considered research involving human subjects.