Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Wells.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always loved reading and I have always loved history. Those two loves were intertwined when I was young and have now blossomed into separate paths of interest. I’m currently a PhD student in history at Florida International University, and a history and book content creator. To think back on how I got to where I am now has been a series of fortunate events. My mum homeschooled me and five siblings from grades 1-12 in The Bahamas. She taught me how to read and always laughs that as soon as I able to that I would read the books to myself because I would be bored. Reading carried me throughout my teenage years a way to learn and explore life.
When I was 13 years old, I started in a track and field club. Track brought me college scholarships – I have had all undergraduate degree and the majority of Master’s degree paid for from Track and Field. When I was exploring what major I wanted to take in undergrad, I was torn between History and International Relations. I loved History but I wondered what could I do with a history degree that wasn’t teaching? I decided to go with what I loved, and I’d figure out the rest later. I never abandoned reading during this period – in fact, I was in book communities on Tumblr and I had a Youtube channel centred around the literature I was reading. When I moved from The Bahamas to Oral Roberts University (ORU) in Oklahoma, my camera that I used for Youtube was damaged by my youngest sister. Transitioning to being in college and being on a collegiate track team took my focus away from Youtube and Tumblr. I put those accounts to the side. I did not try to get back into the bookish space again until the 2020 Pandemic.
I was home in The Bahamas from March until August of 2020. I hate being idle. I decided to start posting on my Youtube channel again, and I decided to start an instagram account for the books I had been reading. I had tried previously to get onto the bookstagram space, but I couldn’t find my community there. This time around I found other Caribbean bookstagrammers that helped me find my way in the space. When I went back for my senior year of my undergraduate degree I stopped posting on Youtube. Editing youtube videos is a lot of work, and as a working perfectionist I didn’t have the time to invest into building up that platform the way I desired. I also loved instagram more. I continued to post and grow on my instagram page.
Because of COVID-19, the NCAA gave most sports another year of eligibility. I entered into the transfer portal and used that eligibility to move from ORU in Oklahoma to the University of Florida. I entered in the Master’s program in history there and I was on the track team. About a month into my master’s program, I knew that I wanted to get a PhD in History. There aren”t that many Bahamians with a PhD in history out there, but I wanted to be one of them. As I started my PhD at Florida International University, I realized that I wanted to expand my bookstagram to being a platform that encapsulated me more fully. I started posting PhD lifestyle and Bahamian history posts on there as well.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Moving to a new place is always a challenge. I’m used to being around a lot of people because I come from such a large family (8 people). I love being rooted in community, and community is very important to me. Building and growing friendships, and finding extra-curricular activities were a challenge when I moved from place to place especially after leaving the communities that I had grown behind.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am currently a graduate student but I work as a research assistant at the school. It is a great experience that brings me closer to learning more about the history of south Florida and all the humanities organizations that exist in the area. I don’t consider my content creation work, but I do love it. It helps bring me closer with people who share the same interests and I’ve built great networks off of it.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Mental health is so important. When I started grad school. I moved to a new state and city, I went under a track and field training program, and experienced the rigours of graduate school. It took a toll on my mental health that could have been alleviated if I had prioritised space for me to feel some of the emotions I was carrying around. Being a Black woman in a graduate program is not easy. Ask for tips on how to navigate the program, reading and study techniques, potential assignment extensions (if needed), and get a therapist.
On the content creation side, it’s okay to have to niche and shift it as you grow. I started off solely talking on reading and now I’ve transitioned to having history and graduate school be a part of my platform.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://linktr.ee/bahareads
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bahareads
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bahareads?_t=ZP-8zX9nGM1gYZ&_r=1
