Joanna Orban
Copy Editor
Krsytoff Kissoon came to Idaho State University for the first time as an international student from Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island country in the Caribbean. At the time, ISU was heavily recruiting international students. According to Kissoon, “I didn’t choose ISU; ISU chose me. That’s what ISU does for all of us.”
Today, Kissoon holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies and is working on a doctor of arts degree, also in political science. He is also working towards a master’s degree in public administration. Kissoon’s doctorate program is focused more on pedagogy, rather than research as PhD programs normally focus on.
The doctor of arts degree allows Kissoon to develop a broader understanding of political science and additional interdisciplinary courses, which he has taken advantage of to pursue his love of history. “History was my first love in high school,” Kissoon recalled. He will be the first person in his family to receive a doctorate degree.
Although his doctorate program places more emphasis on pedagogy, Kissoon is completing a doctoral dissertation. His research surrounds LGBTQ rights, particularly in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago. “I was extremely fascinated because since leaving Trinidad, LGBTQ rights have advanced so quickly.” Kissoon went on to discuss how Trinidad overturned the outdated Buggery Law in 2016.
The Buggery Law was leftover from British colonization and prohibited members of the LGBTQ community from engaging in consensual sexual activities. “It wasn’t enforced or anything,” Kissoon said, “But the symbolism of the law was damaging to the psyche of Trinidad.” Kissoon’s dissertation will focus on the factors that are influencing LGBTQ rights in Trinidad. He will also implement comparative politics by examining if the same factors that influence LGBTQ rights in other countries are also at work in the case of Trinidad & Tobago.
Kissoon is projected to graduate in December and plans to apply for academic jobs, especially somewhere he can help students get more diverse experiences. Kissoon is also interested in pursuing public radio and podcasting. This interest was sparked by his employment at KISU, ISU’s public radio station.
Kissoon became involved with KISU after being interviewed for ASISU Speaks, a show that interviews members of the ISU student body. At the time, Kissoon was serving as a senator for ASISU.
Kissoon eventually became the host of ASISU Speaks, serving in the position for nearly two years. After he finished his tenure at ASISU Speaks, Kissoon was offered the position to start his own show, one that he called Navigating Diversity.
“I’m not exactly sure why I decided on a show about diversity but it just felt right,” Kissoon said. He has covered topics such as antiracism and police brutality on the show, topics that have been on the news more recently due to the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement in the summer of 2020.
Navigating Diversity was originally just a 10-minute segment on Friday mornings. “Eventually it got to the point where I felt like I had too much good content that I was cutting to fit the ten minutes,” Kissoon said. The show was then moved to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday nights, its current time slot. The show’s Facebook page is @diversityradio. Past episodes can be found on kisu.org/programs/navigating-diversity#stream/0. Kissoon’s show has allowed him to interview fellow graduate students, undergraduate students, faculty and staff at ISU. He also was able to interview Paulette Jordan during her run for the United States Senate in 2020.
“The show has been covering a range of political issues, but I’ve been transitioning it, due to the pandemic, to more spiritual types of ideas,” Kissoon said.
According to the Navigating Diversity webpage, the show has three main purposes, recognizing the duality in all things, finding more conscious ways to stand in our truth and help others to stand in theirs and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Kissoon was recently nominated for and received the 2021 Joy Morrison Award. This award was created by the Portneuf Valley Interfaith Fellowship in 2004 to honor Morrison, who was then a reporter at the Idaho State Journal.
Reverend Jennifer Peek who serves as the Consulting Minister of Pocatello Unitarian Universalist Fellowship wrote the following in her nomination letter, “Krystoff Kissoon’s personality, of deep caring concern for everyone, shines through in all his programs. I think especially in this climate of great divide among people, the message he brings of unity through building relationships makes him a uniquely qualified candidate for the Joy Morrison Award.”
As a graduate student, Kissoon shared tips with students who may be interested in education, post bachelor’s degree. “Grad school is an emotional, physical, mental, financial undertaking.” He recommends that students seek funding opportunities such as scholarships, graduate fellowships or sponsorship from their employers.
Kissoon also recommends that students identify and focus on the same research topic throughout their program, as it makes writing a dissertation a bit easier “It’s a messy process and you’re going to grow emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically,” Kissoon said. He also recommends that students pick a grad school with students and professors they can see themselves working closely with. “Cohort is everything,” Kissoon said. “If you are just open to it and do your best, people take notice.”
