Raising a Family, Pursuing a PhD, & Changing Lives

Posted April 15, 2024January 9, 2025 in Childhood Studies, PhD Students, Stories, Students

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Balancing motherhood, work, and education, a determined teenage mother transformed her life into one marked by academic excellence and impactful research. Janene Ryan, a PhD candidate in the Childhood Studies program at Rutgers-Camden, has dedicated her academic journey to amplifying the voices of children often unheard. From exploring childhood trauma to examining the psychological impacts of racialized experiences, her work reflects a commitment to driving meaningful change. Continue reading to discover how Janene’s experiences and research are shaping her mission to create a brighter future for children.

From Teenage Mother to PhD Candidate: Empowering Children’s Voices Through Research

I was a teenage mother with a high school diploma, but little else. I decided I wanted to register for college classes once my daughter turned 5-years old. Working nights, I went to school during the day. After completing my Bachelor’s in English with a focus on Creative Writing and Pre-Modern-Day Era Literature at Rutgers-Camden, I went on to obtain an MS from Cairn University in Christian Counseling with a concentration in trauma therapy. Once my daughter was in her second year of college, I decided to pursue a PhD in Childhood Studies. Six years later, here I am at the threshold of conferment.

Working with children for over 20 years I’ve seen how they have been silenced for trying to participate in their own lives. I wanted to do research that gave them a voice and I believed Childhood Studies would allow me to do that.

I wanted to do research that gave children a voice and believed Childhood Studies would allow me to do that.
Janene Ryan

Related to this Story:

Exploring Childhood Trauma and Systemic Injustice

My research has included examining Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in urban communities related to homicide and terminal illness of a parent, childhood trauma related to systematic and racialized conditioning surrounding racist vigilantism and police brutality, and discourses within child welfare and foster care structures. My dissertation, “Preparing for Assault: Framing the Psychological Impact of The Talk Within Black Childhood”, examines what, if any, emotional and cognitive conditioning Black children experience when having communicative exchanges with their caregivers and how that discourse can dictate encounters with law enforcement and/or racists vigilantes.

Building Community Through Transformative Engagement

Being an alumnus of Rutgers-Camden I’ve had so many great experiences. But my favorite was being the Chair for the Youth Spotlight at the ACYIG Conference. Being able to interview youth from Camden who were determined to do and be the best version of themselves while honoring themselves and their community. I was humbled when I told many of the youth how proud I was at what they were doing and how they were representing Camden, and several said the same to me. My department has encouraged me to continue using my work to positively transform the lives of all children.