This summer research experience has absolutely flown by! I’ve learned so much and I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to be a small part of this research. I learned that I tend to gravitate more qualitatively towards research and it’s been a great exercise to train my brain to look at media in a more quantitative way. While I did not get a chance to sit in on qualitative interviews like I had hoped, I did get to go through and help organize transcripts of the interviews that were conducted by my mentor with trans men. It was such a helpful opportunity to go through the interviews and it gave me so much insight into the semi structured qualitative research approach. It was especially helpful because I began conducting my own interviews a couple of weeks ago for my own senior honor thesis and I learned so much through this program to be able to confidently do that. I’m so grateful to have had the mentor that I had in this program. We really aligned in research praxis and it was such a big help for my own research. I hope that I get to continue to work with my mentor through the school year while also applying to grad school. My advice for future WAGSFP fellows is to be ready for your summer to fly by. Take breaks when you need them and connect with the other undergrad and graduate students in your research area, and stay focused while also being open to what your experience could be. You go this!
