Introducing the woman behind Bolder Joce

reading time: 3 minutes

Let me introduce myself:

I’m the very own Jocelyn McQuirter (she/her). My first name means light-hearted and in many ways I find myself living life light and more weightless in the things I carry. My energy budget is choosey with my time and I’m constantly sourcing and filtering where I can lessen the heaviness of life.

I’m learning to surrender to the things I can no longer control and oh has it brought me an unexpected peace. I’m learning to unleash the inner child that’s so needed, so deserving of tenderness, kindness, and compassion.

I am a:

• Writer

• Dreamer

• Optimist

• Mother

• Creator

• Soul-searcher

• Educator

For life as I’ve known it, it's been about belonging. I spent decades trying to fit in a world that was never made for me to be fully seen, fully paid, much less fully heard. At this stage, I desire for a kind of self love that takes up more space, pursues better rest, and greater growth.

I write with a soul-filled look at life and its sacredness. My words are like comfort tools that anchor my connection to humanity. These words are my own and are indeed like soul food; an undeniable craving.

Image description: title: “That’s Just Joce”

Let me tell you
what it is
a girl on fire

piercing the depth
of grief and growth.

No messenger.
Just shooting straight

Find me in the stars.

Recent Grad alert!

Master’s in Education
Hamline University 21’

Beulah Benton Tatum awardee*

I finished grad school after 5 intense years, including 1.5 equivalent to 10 years gestationally during the pandemic. I marvel at parents who continue their education with kids in tow. Contrary to what I thought I would do after graduation, I ended up reading a lot more. Reading for pleasure brought me to deeper enlightenment on a number of topics.

My 2021 post graduate reading list:

• My Body is Not an Apology, the power of radical self love by Sonya Renee Taylor

• Don’t You Know Who I Am? How to stay sane in an era of narcissim, entitlement, and incivility by Ramani S. Durvasula Ph.D

• Set Boundaries Find Peace by Nedra Tawab

• I Don’t Want to Die Poor by Michael Arceneaux

• The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

• Raising a Feminist Son by Sonora Jha

Links feature Minneapolis-based Black Garnett Books or a local bookshop near you. I’m neither for or against A-M-A-Z-O-N. Bezos will have an all-gold funeral, afterlife, and second coming with or without me. I just like when I can exchange my dollar where true generational wealth is needed. I like to shop small, and shop Black, Indigenous, and Brown where and how possible.

Forward thinking and forward moving

My career has evolved through several eclectic and distinct paths. From advertising McDonald's burgers and fries (circa oatmeal and smoothie days) to guiding youth to soar with unapologetic readiness in the workplace. I even tried my hands in cosmetology for a few years, a goal I had since childhood. And now, I move projects forward sometimes faster and most times better in the public sector. At each corner of my background, I've stage set for something more extraordinary.

Bolder Joce represents my awakening of my higher self through some of life's pages. I carry with me experiences that have brought me joy, heartache, and empowerment. I resolve that somewhere in these lessons may be a blueprint for someone else's growth... someone else's bolder possibility. Welcome.

*Recognizes a Master’s in Education student whose capstone demonstrates reflective practice in a multicultural context. (Named for a teacher who graduated from Hamline in 1931)

Disclaimer: My thoughts are simply my own and not a reflection of my employer.