Activist and Trinity PhD student Sinéad Burke has announced her new role as a Contributing Editor for British Vogue. Burke, who is a qualified primary school teacher, was named one of Vogue UK’s 25 most influential women last month alongside Meghan Markle and Amal Clooney.
Burke tweeted that she was “very, very proud” of her new position. In her role as Contributing Editor, Burke is set to publish a monthly column, which she wishes to use as a “platform to amplify voices and experiences”.
In her first article as Contributing Editor, “Why I Chose To Embrace My Differences”, Burke reflects on why she refuses to change herself to meet others’ expectations. She explains that as a person who has Achondroplasia, the most common type of dwarfism, her body is “different to those that appear in campaigns” and finding clothes which allow her to feel “confident of [her] own beauty and self can be a challenge”.
“I love being a little person, I love my body, and I’m privileged to have been born into a family who celebrated and nurtured my differences,” Burke writes. “If I had a magic wand, I would use it to democratise opportunities and resources to ensure equal access and inclusion for all. I would not change who I am… but I almost did,” says Burke, continuing to outline how she once considered a limb lengthening procedure.
Burke’s PhD in Trinity studies human rights education. She is conducting research on the voice of the child within the school environment.
Burke, who holds a Bachelor of Education from the Marino Institute of Education, received the Vere Foster Medal upon completing her undergraduate degree. The medal is awarded by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) to the student who achieves the highest mark in their final teaching practice placements. She also holds an MA in Broadcast Production for Radio and Television.
