Fartoon Hagi Mohamed

Hi, I'm Fartoon! I am a recent graduate from Sixth College with a B.A. in Literature and Writing. 

Which URH Programs have you been a part of?

McNair Scholars Program (2020-2021)

What are you researching?

My research within the McNair program, conducted under the guidance and support of Dr. Stephanie Jed, was concerned with memoir writing and its potential use as a tool to alleviate the effects of intergenerational trauma. To approach this research, I tried to understand memoir writing as a long-form version of expressive writing—a complementary therapeutic practice which has been extensively studied in the field of psychology, mostly through the lens of the quantitative method. Over the course of my research journey, I attempted to uncover a humanistic answer to the questions surrounding the efficacy of expressive—and, by extension, memoir—writing, making use of studies in trauma theory as well as close readings of various works in memoir.

Why and how did you decide to get involved in undergraduate research?

I first felt captivated by the world of undergraduate research while taking classes taught by my mentor, Dr. Jed, whom I met through my participation in the UC San Diego transfer transition program, PATH (Preparing Accomplished Transfers to the Humanities). It was in Dr. Jed's "Loneliness and Aging" course that I first learned about the practice of expressive writing, which I would go on to closely study as part of the McNair program. Most significantly, Dr. Jed taught me about the importance of using your own personal interests to fuel and inspire your research journey, and her continued support—as well as the support and resources offered to me as a McNair Program scholar—is a huge part of why I am planning to apply to graduate school in the very near future!

What are your future plans/goals?

As I hinted above, I am currently in the process of applying to a variety of MFA and PhD programs across the country. My ultimate goal is to earn a PhD in English, Comparative Literature, or another related field of study. And while I am interested in teaching, my real passion is in writing and conducting research related to my scholarly interests, namely: trauma theory, diaspora studies, and transnational and contemporary literatures.