When Nicolette Lecy began her graduate studies at UC Merced, life was anything but typical.
It was August 2020, in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lecy’s classes were held remotely, and she had limited access to campus.
Another challenge that could have hindered Lecy’s academic goals — she became a mother during the Thanksgiving break of her first semester at UC Merced.
Persevering wasn’t new to Lecy, who was adopted from China at age 1 and grew up in rural Minnesota. She recalled facing discrimination during her schooling, which inspired her passion for sociocultural research.
“My experiences growing up as a transracial Chinese adoptee have shaped my academic path in profound ways,” Lecy said. “My upbringing, while often isolated from larger cultural communities, fostered a deep curiosity about identity, belonging and the intersections of race and culture, which have guided me toward studying adoption, diaspora and visual culture.”
She attended college at South Dakota State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She then earned a master’s degree in sociocultural anthropology at California State University, Long Beach.
Lecy chose UC Merced for its Interdisciplinary Humanities Graduate Program, which offers a unique opportunity to combine her research interests in critical race and ethnic studies, anthropology and global arts.
“My academic journey began with a foundation in studio art and museum studies, but my growing interest in cultural identity and societal structures led me to pursue graduate studies in sociocultural anthropology,” she said.
She sought out her advisor, Professor Kit Myers, who is a critical adoption scholar and fellow transracial adoptee.
“He is a parent as well, and was incredibly understanding of the challenges I faced balancing academics while raising a colicky infant and later a toddler,” she said. “His support in both my personal and academic life has been invaluable, especially in helping me frame my dissertation through my own experiences as a transracial adoptee, anthropologist and visual artist.”
