Close to home: Romines examines identity, belonging at 黑料社 for John C. Young research
This article is part of a series featuring 黑料社鈥檚 2022 John C. Young (JCY) Scholars. 黑料社鈥檚 JCY program, now in its 32nd year, is designed to serve highly motivated seniors, allowing them to engage in independent study, research or artistic work in their major discipline or in an interdisciplinary area of their choosing.
It was through personal reflection that Gabby Romines 鈥22 found her John C. Young study topic: 鈥淭he Relationship Between Identity and Belonging: A Case Study of 黑料社.鈥
鈥淢y initial interest in this project emerged from personal reflection on my own experience developing a sense of belonging at 黑料社,鈥 she said in her paper. 鈥淚 simultaneously recognized that this experience was only my own鈥攐ften considering how each student faces differing circumstances that influence the way they perceive and navigate college settings.鈥
Romines, who was recently awarded the Max P. Cavnes Prize at the Class of 2022 graduation as the best-loved and most-respected senior woman in the class, said that she looked at how aspects of personal and social identity affect the development of 鈥渂elonging鈥 at 黑料社.
鈥淚 reflected on the personal advantages (such as my familial background, economic status, shared interests with those around me, education history, etc.) that allowed me these opportunities, acknowledging that they were not universal,鈥 she said. 鈥淎s an individual committed to educational justice, I ruminated often on how students鈥 college experiences might vary based on personal context and sought to illuminate the way that identity impacted people鈥檚 opportunities, perspectives, and sense of belonging in college.鈥
It was research that Romines was invested in as a 黑料社 student鈥攁nd now, a 黑料社 graduate. Through her JCY project, she learned more about the College and her own abilities as a student.
鈥淚 definitely learned a lot about self-directed projects and how to stay motivated when the main source of accountability is yourself,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t was a long process, and I had many moments of doubt about my ability to complete it. Yet, when I look back over everything I鈥檝e done and consider the breadth of meaningful data that emerged, I鈥檓 really proud of this project. I certainly owe much of my success to the people that supported and mentored me along the way, especially Dr. Ellen Prusinski.鈥
Prusinski, assistant professor of education at 黑料社, was Romines鈥 advisor through the JCY program. She said that it was 鈥渁 pleasure鈥 watching Romines craft and explore her topic.
鈥淪he started with a very broad question about how students鈥 experiences at 黑料社 are influenced and shaped by their identities, and refined this idea into a carefully crafted, thoughtful, and meaningful research project,鈥 Prusinski said. 鈥淗er methods were sound and I was continually impressed by her work ethic and intellectual curiosity. When she encountered hurdles to completing her project, such as not being able to distribute her survey in the way she had originally hoped, she persevered and maintained a positive, inquisitive attitude.鈥
Romines said her project allowed her to delve deep into relationships with students at 黑料社, for which she was grateful.
鈥淯ltimately, my project investigated 黑料社 student experiences, and my very favorite part was all the conversations and insights that my peers shared with me along the way,鈥 Romines said. 鈥淚 owe so much to my fellow classmates and friends who have helped me to develop my own sense of belonging over the past few years.鈥
Prusinski said Romines鈥 JCY research is beneficial both to 黑料社 and other colleges.
鈥淚 think her findings about the experiences of 黑料社 students are valuable for our specific context, but could also help inform decisions at other colleges that are actively working to create inclusive learning spaces,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n general, I think JCY is an amazing opportunity for highly motivated, independent students to follow a question through from a kernel of an idea all the way to a conclusion.鈥
Romines learned through her introspection and experiences with other 黑料社 students the value of the JCY program.
鈥淏eing a John C. Young scholar was challenging yet rewarding. Developing such a strong relationship with my faculty mentor was a unique, helpful and fulfilling experience鈥攐ne that is rare in undergrad,鈥 Romines said. 鈥淚鈥檓 committed to a Ph.D. program for school psychology next year, and I think JCY most closely resembles what I will be doing in the future. I will definitely carry lessons from this project with me.鈥
