Communication graduate student of West Texas A&M University, Katie Stringer, will perform her master’s thesis about the difficulties of loss, grief and recovery at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, Hazel Kelley Wilson Room.
Stringer’s performance includes a combination of her own experiences losing a loved one and pre-published literature describing the grieving process of others. After experiencing the death of her own mother at age 15, Stringer realized how much grief and loss affected her relationships and her ability to communicate with others.
“Over the years I have found that most people who have suffered from a great loss tend to not want to speak about it, and that is exactly why I hope to break down those walls and stigma around grief and loss,” Stringer said.
Although her research proved difficult, as it called on her own story with her mother’s death daily, Stringer enjoyed the freedom of shaping her thesis as a performance instead of a traditional presentation. She believes dealing with tragedy is a part of every life and impacts communication, which makes it worthy of research.
“Within the field of communication, we tend to avoid some of the sensitive or taboo subjects we feel could bring uncomfortable emotions to individuals,” Stringer said. “I feel like my work helps to start those conversations in order to help people realize and process how grief can hinder communication within their relationships.”
Stringer will present her thesis in narrative form, detailing her experiences overcoming loss and sharing similar stories of hope and recovery. With experience performing in speech circuits and now coaching the Forensics team at WT, Stringer looks forward to sharing her personal story with others.
The performance is overseen by Dr. Trudy Hanson, who is directing Stringer’s performance thesis, and thesis committee members: Dr. Noah Franken, Dr. Emily Kinsky and Prof. Connie McKee. The performance is open to the public.
For additional information, contact Dr. Hanson at 806-651-2800 or by email at thanson@wtamu.edu
-West Texas A&M University
