Graduate Research Symposium Presenters

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Yesenia is a first-generation graduate student in the HECSA program. She received her B.S. from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Her work experience has been in nonprofit educational programs as a counselor/tutor for community college students. In Yesenia's spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and discovering new places worldwide. Yesenia's favorite experience with Cal Poly has been getting to work with different campus programs and learning new skills for her future career. 

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RESEARCH TITLE

Student Support Services on Transfer Students

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research project is to see is student support services are indicators of academic success amongst transfer individuals. Transfer students have unique challenges when entering a four-year institution that can hinder participation on school campus, activities, and services provided for them. This research study is qualitative.

I will be conducting two or more interviews with current Cal poly transfer students with the hope to finding information around their experiences amongst student success services. An analysis of their answers will be preformed with the assistance of my research professor. My expected result is despite transfer students multiple challenges and lack of time, student support services will still be a number one indicator of their student and academic success in college.

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Bunchongchitr, Matilda

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Matilda received her B.S. in Wildlife Conservation Biology/Applied Vertebrate Ecology with a minor in Psychology and Geospatial Science from Humboldt State University and is a current 1st year master’s student in the Higher Education Counseling in Student Affairs (HECSA) program at Cal Poly. While Matilda received her B.S in Biology, much of her experience has come from her work as a Residential Assistant and as a Co-coordinator of the Asian Desi Pacific Islander Collective at Cal Poly Humboldt.

In 2018 she began her career at the Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF), a nonprofit agency in Koreatown, Los Angeles that serves to address domestic violence and sexual assault in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Here Matilda began as an AmeriCorps Vista providing translation for Thai client survivors, outreach in universities, and volunteer/intern recruitment before becoming a full-time employee of CPAF as a youth prevention educator. She has primarily worked with the Asian and Pacific Islander community, youth (11-18 years old) in middle and high school, youth with English as a second language, and youth (18-25) in University Housing and Cultural Centers. Here at Cal Poly, Matilda is also working as a full-time Campus Advocate at Safer to support survivors in their journey toward healing and justice.

When she can, Matilda enjoys swimming, reading, watching wildlife, and continuing her education and journey in anti racism and the nonviolence philosophy!

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RESEARCH TITLE

Navigation of Belonging for Asian American Graduate Students in Higher Education

ABSTRACT

Sense of belonging has long been identified as a crucial basic human need in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (as cited by Strayhorn, 2015). For college students, belonging is vital for educational success (Strayhorn, 2015). Research on sense of belonging and its interaction with different student identities shows that student identities, especially those historically marginalized, are impacted differently (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Asian American students have been identified as the successful minority or model minority (Chen & Fouad, 2013), with data reflecting persistence at 92.8% and subsequent interpretation of higher persistence than their Latinx and Black peers (National Student Clearinghouse, 2021). This assumption, combined with the lack of support programs specific to Asian American students' needs, leads to an unclear understanding of the effect and how Asian American students navigate and experience belonging (Samura, 2016).

Influenced by the model minority myth, many universities hold a distorted perception of Asian American student success that perpetuates the invisibility of an entire group of students. At Cal Poly, a predominantly white institution, sense of belonging for Asian American graduate students may similarly be impacted by the campus climate and experiences at Cal Poly. This impact may have a negative rippled affect. To explore this, an autoethnographic research will be implemented to delve into the experiences of graduate students who identify as Asian Americans to learn about how they navigate belonging at Cal Poly. In addition to autoethnographic interviews, 3 photos will also be collected to help depict the participants interpretation of belonging at Cal Poly.

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Campbell, Jacob

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Jacob Campbell (he/him) is the first in his family to pursue graduate school. After earning a BA in World Arts & Cultures/Dance with a minor in Visual & Performing Arts Education from UCLA, Jacob worked with public schools across the state to leverage the arts to increase equity and amplify student voice. He is currently a Retention Specialist at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA, where he is also working towards an MS in Higher Education Counseling/Student Affairs (HECSA) with research interests in educational policy and multiracial students. He is the founding club advisor for Cal Poly's Multiracial Students' Association, treasurer of Cal Poly's APIDA Faculty & Staff Association, and vice-president of UCLA's Mixed Alumni Association. Jacob is entering his final year of the HECSA program and intends to apply for interdisciplinary doctoral programs at the intersection of education, popular culture, and critical mixed race studies.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Defining Mixed-Race College Students: Examining Graduation Gaps Between Multiracial & Monoracial Undergraduates

ABSTRACT

National trends suggest a growing graduation gap between multiracial undergraduates and undergraduates overall. Utilizing a sample of student records (N = 10,921) from a public, predominantly White university spanning 2010-2020, this quantitative study examined whether preferred or federally reported race/ethnicity categories reveal gaps in graduation likelihood between multiracial and monoracial undergraduates using binary logistic regression. Half (50.9%) of sampled students who self-categorized as multiracial were reported as such per Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) standards. Accounting for sex and college-affiliation, eight statistically significant graduation gaps involving multiracial students were found using students’ preferred race/ethnicity categories, compared to two when using IPEDS reporting categories.

All but one statistically significant finding showed the multiracial reference category as more likely to graduate than the monoracial comparison group. This study highlighted the erasure of statistically significant graduation gaps between multiracial and monoracial undergraduates as a function of how multiraciality is defined.

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Castillo-Lopez, Geo

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Geo (They/Them) is a first-generation and first-year graduate student in the Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs (HECSA) program. Geo received a BA in Psychology and Chicana/o/x studies with a minor in Education from UC Davis.

For the past five years, Geo has worked with college students serving as a peer mentor, academic coach, advocate, supplemental instructor, and tutor. They are currently interning for the College of Science & Mathematics Student Services Department. They enjoy going on spontaneous mini-adventures, hanging out on a hammock and jamming out to music in their free time.

RESEARCH TITLE

Undocumented Students’ Experiences with Sense of Belonging at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI)

ABSTRACT

Undocumented Students' presence in higher education has become more noticeable and evident over the past few years. Undocumented students experience a multitude of structural and social barriers. The implementation of undocumented student resource centers (USRCs) has been pivotal in serving and addressing undocumented student needs and overcoming academic and personal barriers and challenges during their educational journey.

This study aims to understand undocumented students' experiences with sense of belonging at a predominantly white institution (PWI) and examine different sub-environments or physical spaces on campus to understand the impact on students' sense of belonging through Strayhorn (2019) 's sense of belonging framework. Strayhorn (2019) defines sense of belonging as students' perception of "social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, and the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the campus community or others on campus such as faculty, staff, and peers" (p. 4).

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Cortes, Leydi

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Leydi Cortes is a 1st-year graduate student in Higher Education Counseling & Student Affairs program and received a BA in Mathematics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2020.

As a 1st generation student with minoritized identities, she aims to contribute back to her community in any way possible and advocate for equity for minoritized individuals. She is currently a graduate intern in the College of Science & Mathematics Student Services department. She enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and reading in her free time.

RESEARCH TITLE

Latinx Females’ Experiences in STEM Majors

ABSTRACT

In recent decades there has been significant awareness of the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Although there has been an increase in women in the STEM field, minority groups, specifically women of color, are left behind. Overall, they continue to be drastically underrepresented in STEM, particularly in math-oriented STEM fields. Additionally, not only do fewer women of color enroll in STEM majors, but they also leave STEM at higher rates than other students. This qualitative inquiry will focus on the experiences of Latinx females currently in a STEM major, previously in a STEM major, or changing majors into STEM.

This study aims to understand the experiences of Latinx females and how their identities influence them in selecting a STEM major, as well as the influential factors that motivate them to remain in those majors or depart and change majors. This study focuses on the participants' lived experiences to understand their social, cultural, and institutional narratives and provide insight into their experiences and perspectives of STEM majors and culture at Cal Poly.

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Dominguez, Joseph

Higher education counseling and students affairs

I am a graduate student in Cal Poly's Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs (HECSA) program. I received my B.S. from Cal Poly, SLO in Agriculture Science. Over the past few years, my work experience has grown from the field of agriculture and developed into the realm of social work and human empowerment through experiential opportunities with horticultural therapy programs and the Peace Corps. My current experience as a Graduate Assistant with Cal Poly's International Center, TRIO Achievers, and the Center for Service and Action has helped expand my awareness of career directions in the higher ed. and non-profit sectors. In my free time I enjoy gardening, hiking, surfing, and spending time with my family. I am actively looking for part/full time opportunities this summer. I am excited to be on this new career path!

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RESEARCH TITLE

Presence and Effectiveness of Cal Poly's Wellness Center

ABSTRACT

Student health and well-being has become an increasingly crucial topic of consideration when examining overall performance and ultimate results of one’s experience in higher education. Campus wellness centers play a vital role in providing the resources and support necessary for student success. This qualitative study will assess current student health services in place within Cal Poly’s Center for Health and Wellbeing. My research will be primarily focused on exploring the presence and effectiveness of Cal Poly’s health support services and their impact on student wellbeing. I will be taking a closer look at Cal Poly’s approaches to student wellness and the qualities of student life that they address.

I am conducting preliminary research on our campus health and wellness center, and I am highly interested in learning more about the center through interviews with professional staff. I am utilizing snowball sampling to obtain interview participants. I intend to conduct 30-45 minute interviews with staff members who have a comprehensive understanding of all of the services provided through our wellness center to gain a broad perspective of methods of support available to students. I expect to conduct, record, transcribe, and analyze interviews to examine the health resources available to students through the perspectives of professional staff involved with support services.

Interviews will be conducted virtually with participants (via Zoom).The findings of this study will draw attention to the factors that promote and inhibit the effectiveness Cal Poly’s Campus Health and Wellbeing. The study results will provide information on successful and unsuccessful health and wellness initiatives for campus wellness centers throughout higher education to draw upon.

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Garcia, Gemma

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Gemma Garcia (She/Her/Ella) is a first-generation Indigenous Ñuu Savi (Mixtec) migrant graduate student at Cal Poly’s HECSA program. She completed her undergraduate education at UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Art in African and Latin American History and Sociology.

Gemma is passionate about social justice and equity in higher education.She has dedicated several years to community grassroots organizing. She cofounded CE’ENI, a collective of Indigenous students, to bring awareness about cultural identity and higher education. She is an active volunteer for the cultural organization Guelaguetza in Santa Maria. For the past five years, Gemma has positively impacted her community by working with historically disadvantaged students in community college. Currently, she is a Student Success Retention Specialist at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria and serves as the co-advisor to the Dream Club. She strives to bring awareness and empowerment to Indigenous youth to help them overcome institutional barriers and socio-economic/cultural marginalization.

In her free time, Gemma enjoys walks in nature and live music. Gemma aspires to further her career in higher education counseling and administration.

RESEARCH TITLE

Migrant Indigenous Student Retention in Community Colleges

ABSTRACT

The purpose of my qualitative research is to investigate and examine the experiences of Indigenous students at Allan Hancock College. Previous research has been conducted regarding Indigenous students in different parts of the world, including Australia, Mexico, and states outside of California. However, there is a lack of research that explores the experiences of the underrepresented community, such as migrant Indigenous students in community colleges. Additionally, studies in California about Indigenous communities focus predominantly on the experiences of farmworkers. Thus, my research aims to reveal how Indigenous students navigate college and what form of challenges they encounter on their journey. In addition, my research potentially will expose how Indigenous students face challenges similar or different to other underrepresented students. And how can Institutions support Indigenous students to overcome institutional barriers?

I plan to reach out to self-identified Indigenous students attending Allan Hancock College via email invitation. I will be scheduling two focus groups meetings via zoom. I plan to ask questions about their community college experience. Also, I will include survey data to gather information about the participants’ demographics, such as gender identity, age, sex, documented status, and the Indigenous community. Content analysis will analyze the data gathered through group interviews and grouped into themes. Through this research, I hope to explore resources that can facilitate access to higher education for Indigenous Students.

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Garza, Karen

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

Karen is a graduate student in Cal Poly's HECSA program. Karen holds a BA Geography from HSU and an MA TESOL from SJSU. Karen's career has included teaching and serving in student services at Cuesta College since 2002. Karen loves spending time outdoors with her dog, Shadow, and her husband Maurie. Karen is enjoying all aspects of Cal Poly's HECSA program and seeks to become a generalist academic counselor at the community college level upon graduation.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Examining Whiteness in Student Affairs

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine whiteness and its impacts in higher education student affairs. Recent scholarly literature illustrated how whiteness directly relates to racism and racial hostility in academic spaces (Patton & Hayes, 2020; Foste & Jones, 2020; Finders & Kwame-Ross, 2020). Student affairs professionals with White identities and White privilege were interviewed for a qualitative study. Participants examined their Whiteness and shared experiences with White privilege in student affairs and higher education. The impact of Whiteness on students was explored. Implications for student affairs were shared.

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Gillette, Haley

curriculum and instruction

Haley is a first-generation graduate student as well as an undergraduate student! She received her BA in English from San Diego State University and a teaching credential from California Polytechnic State University in SLO. Her work experience consists of being a substitute teacher for SLO Coastal USD for over three years and a research assistant for a professor of Education at SDSU.

She has just accepted a position as an Academic Writing Consultant for a consulting firm that assists pre-med students with their admissions process. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, going to the beach with friends, and baking! Haley's favorite experience as a Graduate student was getting to be in a classroom and meet her cohort in person! This experience will be one that she remembers for the rest of her life!

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RESEARCH TITLE

A Focus on Formative Assessment in a Digital World

ABSTRACT

I used a triangulation mixed methods approach to investigate as I collected qualitative and quantitative data. Data from primary and secondary sources will be cross-compared and interpreted to determine teachers' perspectives on using formative assessment online. The scope of this study will focus on the impact of a professional development module that will plan for the implementation of formative assessment.

Teacher candidates from the single-subject credential program will complete the asynchronous modules informing them of various programs and applications (such as Kahoot or Quizlet) and their efficacy in and out of the classroom. I applied a conceptual-driven theoretical framework to the research process and creation of the interview questions. Embedded within the modules are two Google Forms to be administered as a pre-survey and a post-survey. The surveys comprise ten rating-scales questions done in the Likert style, followed by two open-ended questions. The responses from both the surveys and interviews will provide crucial evidence of the efficacy of formative assessment, specifically in an online setting.

I expect that the results of this descriptive experiment will have the effect of reassessing the scope of evaluation practices as educators perform them in a classroom setting. The modules created could be used as a component of professional development for Teacher Candidates, influencing the way they interact with a curriculum and the engagement of their students.

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Hamby, Laken

special education

Laken Hamby is a graduate student completing her M.S. in Special Education with a Mild/Moderate Education Specialist Credential at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She received her B.S. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Human Movement and Kinesiology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in June of 2021.

Laken was born and raised in southern San Luis Obispo County where she plans to continue teaching in the field as an Education Specialist at Santa Maria High School next school year. Laken's favorite experience while attending Cal Poly has been her time as a student teacher at Arroyo Grande High School where she has gotten the privilege of meaningful experience and knowledge in the field of special education. Additionally, while at Arroyo Grande High School, she has enjoyed building connections with students and education professionals during her time there.

RESEARCH TITLE

The Effects of Covert Prompting and Feedback Delivered via an Apple Watch™

ABSTRACT

Coming Soon

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Haxby, Dana

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

RESEARCH TITLE

Imposter Syndrome & Participation in Cultural Clubs

ABSTRACT

College campuses are becoming more diverse; however, students of color may often feel out of place at predominately white institutions (PWIs). Lack of belonging may lead to mental health issues such as imposter syndrome. Students want to connect with others who have similar backgrounds/shared experiences, and one way for students of color to find a sense of community is by joining a racial or ethnic student organization.

This quantitative study examines the link between participation in racial and ethnic student organizations and levels of imposter syndrome among students of color at PWIs. All students in cultural organizations were contacted about the survey via Cal Poly Now. Participants filled out a survey with three parts. The first part collected basic demographic information and information about their experience in their organization. The second part contained information about campus belonging and the final part assessed levels of imposter syndrome. The study aims to determine if cultural organization participation helps lower levels of imposter syndrome. There is limited research on racial and ethnic organizations and imposter syndrome among students of color. Students of color are a growing population and have different needs than White students.

This study attempts to address the gaps in the literature by highlighting the experiences of students of color. The study can also provide insight into the value of cultural organizations at PWIs.

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Leal, Veronica

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

Veronica is a first generation graduate student and she received her B.S. in Anthropology & Chicana/o/x Studies from UCLA. Veronica is grounded in the retention and success of students at all levels of the educational pipeline. She is currently working as the graduate assistant for diversity, equity and inclusion for ASI Cal Poly.

In the future, Veronica hopes to create and direct a retention center that address the holistic needs of students. Veronica is also looking forward to her new position as the GA for the student success and retention office under the Dean of Students. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and lifting weights.

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RESEARCH TITLE

The Experiences of Latine Students Using their Cultural Wealth to Navigate a Predominantly White Institution

ABSTRACT

Decades of academic research surrounding Latine in higher education have focused on how Latine students face barriers to success and retention. However many scholars have neglected to focus on how Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) of higher education, specifically Cal Poly can draw on the cultural wealth of students to facilitate that retention and success. Latine students face a multitude of barriers to persistence at predominantly White institutions, including imposter syndrome, financial instability, racial discrimination, culture shock, and a lack of community within the institution.

Grounded in Critical Race Theory and a community cultural wealth framework, this study will shed light on the way Latine students use their distinctive cultural wealth, as well as other resources, to persist within PWIs. Drawing on qualitative research methods, data will be derived from semi-structured interviews, and student testimonies. If Latine students are being failed by postsecondary institutions, their communities will continue to suffer the consequences. In understanding the narratives and experiences of these students, we can work to dismantle barriers to success.

This study seeks to not only provide California postsecondary institutions such as Cal Poly, with insights on how to facilitate the success of this student population, but it also aims to showcase the narratives of Latine students and highlight their experience within institutions of higher education.

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Marciano, Elisabeth

curriculum and instruction

Elisabeth is a Cal Poly education alumni to the maximum! She received her B.S. in Liberal Studies, Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and now her M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She is currently a second grade teacher at Baywood Elementary in Los Osos, CA. Outside of school and work, Elisabeth enjoys exercising, dancing, and cooking.

As a previous member of the Cal Poly Ballroom Dance Team and the Cal Poly Wind Orchestra, the arts are some of her favorite hobbies. She also studied abroad in Peru during her time at Cal Poly in pursuit of her minors in Spanish and Latin American studies. When not in the academic world, she can be found with her church community. Elisabeth's favorite experiences in the School of Education have definitely been interacting with professors and fellow classmates. She has felt so supported and encouraged as an educator by these people. She looks forward to implementing the incredible strategies and techniques learned in these programs!

RESEARCH TITLE

Growing in Health and Knowledge: Garden-Based Nutrition Education with Second Grade Students

ABSTRACT

In this intervention, one class of second grade students participated in a unit of study centered around nutrition that lasted 4 weeks. The goal of this action-research project was to answer the following question: how does the implementation of a garden-based nutrition education program affect second graders’ preferences, knowledge, and consumption of vegetables? This unit was a combination of hands-on lessons that took place in the school garden and classroom-based lessons that focused on nutrition education. When in the garden, students got to take part in planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting fruit and vegetables, while learning about what plants need to grow. In the classroom, students got to learn about specific fruit and vegetables and what makes them healthy. There are 4 main lessons that students took part in during the unit. At the end of the unit, students got to taste their garden-grown produce.

Pre- and post-surveys of mixed-method data collection were used to analyze the students’ preferences, knowledge, and consumption of vegetables. The quantitative data collection method included pre- and post- surveys where students answered questions using a Lickert scale of 1-5 to report their preferences, knowledge, and frequency of consumption of vegetables. The qualitative data collection method took place through student interviews that asked more open-ended questions, such as whether students think eating fruit and vegetables is important and why. This interview was done before and after the garden-based nutrition education unit as well.

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Messerly, Morgan

curriculum and instruction

Morgan is a graduate student in the Curriculum & Instruction program. She is currently a fifth year teacher at Arellanes Junior High in Santa Maria, CA where she teaches Science 8 and Leadership 7/8 classes. Morgan is involved with her district in many ways, but is most proud of her involvement in developing SEL curriculum for her school's advisory period. After completing the master's program, Morgan and her husband will be making the move to Colorado for new adventures!

RESEARCH TITLE

Connecting Students with a SEL Communication Skills Unit

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates how a communication skills unit affects seventh- and eighth-grade students’ class connectedness and well-being. Using a mixed-methods research approach, this study assesses the impact of the intervention through quantitative data collection (i.e. pre- and post-intervention student surveys) and qualitative data collection (i.e. teacher observation logs and group student interview). The intervention consists of four, 40 minute lessons focused on building and applying communication skills through pair, small group, and whole class cooperative learning activities. The unit was delivered during advisory, a school-wide, non-graded class period occurring once a week that focuses on enhancing social-emotional learning skills. Data collection occurred in two seventh- and two eighth-grade classrooms.

Prior to the intervention, advisory teachers received training on the unit implementation to understand the rationale behind each lesson, their objectives, and the sequence of activities in each lesson. Teachers had access to digital lesson plans with hyperlinks of supplemental materials (activity handouts, slide shows, etc.). Additionally, pre-intervention student surveys were collected in late-March. The communication skills unit was implemented in late March through early May and teacher observation logs were distributed for each lesson during the intervention. The post-intervention student survey data was collected and a group student interview was conducted immediately after the intervention ended in May. Data will be analyzed and results will be reported June and July.

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Morgan, Molly

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Molly is a graduate student in Cal Poly's Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs program. She originally graduated from Sonoma State University with her Bachelor's in Psychology. She hopes to use her experience to support students as a career counselor at a community college. She is especially interested in working with students with disabilities and other marginalized populations. Molly is currently working as a Career Advisor with Cal Poly Career Services. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing, watching history documentaries, and playing with her pets.

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RESEARCH TITLE

The Lived Experiences of College Students with Autism in Regards to Career Development

ABSTRACT

Through a qualitative research approach which emphasizes going straight to the source, this study will examine the perceptions of college students with Autism Spectrum Disorder on their career development. The researcher will conduct interviews with Cal Poly students who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, asking them to speak on their lived experiences related to career development, as well as what they perceive to be the opportunities and challenges associated with being a college student on the autism spectrum in regards to career development. Interviews, which take place via Zoom, will be recorded. The transcripts will then be analyzed for reoccurring themes. Potential benefits of this research could include an increased understanding of the experiences of college students with autism in regards to career development.

By understanding the experiences of college students with autism, educators may find ways to better support autistic students and can work to reduce the currently extremely high unemployment rate of adults on the autism spectrum through more targeted education and effective programs.

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Ortiz, Laura

Curriculum and instruction

Laura is a first generation graduate student and a proud daughter of immigrant parents. She received her B.S in Psychology and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at Cal Poly SLO. Her work experience as a counselor in an elementary school in Santa Maria has shaped her way of teaching from an asset based approach. Laura is currently a 1st Grade Dual Language Immersion teacher at Mary Buren in Guadalupe. When she is not in the classroom, she enjoys working out, cuddling with her precious dog Teddy, and exploring new countries.

RESEARCH TITLE

Noche de Lectura Familiar: Culturally Relevant Literacy in First Grade

ABSTRACT

The research question in this study is: What is the impact of a culturally relevant Family Literacy Night on first grade students’ practices and attitudes towards reading and writing?

The research is focused on increasing students’ attitudes towards literacy when their families are involved. Students participated in a one night only Family Literacy Night at school where they had the opportunity to engage in literacy stations with their peers and families. I used a mixed methods design and gathered data through quantitative and qualitative methods. Before the family literacy night, I sent a digital/physical copy of a funds of knowledge questionnaire for families to fill out before the event, which guided in gathering parent volunteers and planning for literacy stations. I administered a pre and post survey to the students, asking them what they like/dislike about reading and writing in class, what they liked or disliked about the family literacy night, and if they feel differently about reading and writing in class after the event.

After the Family Literacy Night, I administered the post survey to gather information on students’ attitudes towards reading and writing after the literacy night. In addition to the post survey, I interviewed five students to gather more in depth information about how they felt towards literacy after the Family Literacy Night. After completion of the post surveys and interviews, I compared the pre and post survey results that I received to determine if there was an impact on students’ attitudes in regards to the culturally relevant Literacy Night.

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Rizzo, Lisa

Higher education counseling and students affairs

Born in San Jose, California, Lisa Rizzo is a first-generation college student, binational, and mother of two. She earned her B.S. degree in journalism from Cal Poly in 2005 and became a television news producer. Lisa later went into investigative reporting, focused on public interest issues ranging from disparities in healthcare, environmental crises, to corruption in government. In 2019, she published her first book in the field of women’s health and infant development. Lisa has professional experience in corporate sales, hotel and restaurant management, conference and event planning. She is also a dedicated community volunteer and has served as a board director, exhibits chair, and president of the San Luis Obispo Children's Museum.

Now a graduate student in the Higher Education Counseling & Student Affairs Master's program, Lisa volunteers as the education and outreach coordinator for the WITH US Center for Bystander Intervention at Cal Poly. She is focused on preventing harm in student lives through research and education. Following graduation in 2023, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Identifying Knowledge Gaps Among College Students Surrounding Risks & Impacts of Marijuana Use

ABSTRACT

Objectives and Purposes: The purpose of this study is to gather information about college student perceptions and knowledge of marijuana use to address 30-year-record rates of marijuana use among college students. The goals are to identify knowledge gaps to inform programs at colleges and universities as they help students make decisions surrounding marijuana based on accurate perceptions of risk rather than public opinion. The objective is crisis risk management, drug use prevention, and harm reduction. The purpose is to promote student success and retention.

Methods: This is a mixed methods descriptive research study using a cross-sectional survey. The instrument is a self-administered questionnaire, for web survey or group administration. Qualitative data will be collected through open-ended question responses. The target population is college students aged 18 and older and the sampling frame is Central Coast colleges and universities. For the pilot study, the goal is 100 participants using a convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics will present demographic data. Results will be in a qualitative form and ranked using quantitative analysis. With the help of a software program, such as SPSS or SAS, data collected will be analyzed with descriptive analysis.

Expected Results: This study hypothesizes that college students lack knowledge of potential negative effects and risks associated with using marijuana. Thus, students are making decisions about marijuana based on misinformation garnered by public perception.

Scholarly Significance: Learning which specific, potential negative consequences are by and large unknown among college students would aid in the formation of marijuana use prevention strategies, health initiatives, and intervention programs. The goal is to inform public health and student development practitioners in the creation of awareness-raising communication efforts that translate scientific information to the college population and counter messaging that portrays marijuana as harmless.

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Roos, Sarah

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION

Sarah believes in living a life of service. She put her B.S. in Psychology, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, to work when she began her career as a Behavioral Therapist working with foster children and families. Looking to expand her reach, she returned to Cal Poly where she earned her M.A. in Special Education. She has worked in public schools as an Education Specialist for ten years, supporting students in grades K-8 and as Department Chair at Laguna Middle School for the last three.

In her spare time, Sarah loves spending time with her family and their dogs, reading, and traveling through Europe. She is looking forward to her new role next year as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) and other opportunities that are opening up for her with the completion of her M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration and her Administrative Credential.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Self-Regulation in Adolescence: The Impact of Mindfulness Practice on Self-regulation in Adolescence Among Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Adolescents experience dramatic physical, mental, and emotional shifts that influence their ability to regulate their emotions and behaviors. Students with disabilities may experience even more significant dysregulation. Self-regulation practices have been shown to have positive benefits in areas of mood, attention, and social interactions among adults.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a self-regulation practice on levels of impulsivity and attention among adolescents with disabilities. The primary research questions are 1) what are the rates of attention and impulsivity among middle school special education students; and 2) how does a self-regulation practice impact levels of attention and impulsivity? This study uses a quasi-experimental design. For the purpose of comparison, a pretest-posttest control group design is used in which Group 1 did not receive the instruction, and Group 2 did. Pretest and posttest scores can be compared across the two groups in order to evaluate if there has been a change in behavior as a result of the intervention (Mertler, 2017).

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Ryder, Richard

curriculum and instruction

Richard Ryder is a graduate student within the Masters in Education, Curriculum and Instruction program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Ca. He earned a B.A in History from the University of California , Los Angeles and a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Sciences from California State University Channel Islands.

Richard has spent the last three years teaching a variety of social science and or literacy based subjects to a diverse group of students within conventional and virtual private educational institutions. He currently virtually teaches high school social science to international students and is looking to expand his practice in servicing English language learners. Richard enjoys hiking, reading, frequenting coffee shops, and watching history videos in his spare time. He plans to continue teaching after finishing his master's program.

RESEARCH TITLE

Instructional Repository: Text Based Synthesis Summary Scaffolds for ELLs in High School Social Science

ABSTRACT

This study shall create a repository of instructional tools useful for scaffolding English language learner (ELL) application of the higher order thinking skills necessary for forming a text based synthesis summary within a virtual secondary social science course. I examine whether the application of the following engagement scaffold sequence, culturally responsive reading discussions and corresponding text based questions, aid Ells in extracting, analyzing, and appraising summary worthy information from a text. I also test the efficacy of signal word sentence frames, an additional engagement scaffold, in enabling Ells to structure the analytical and appraisal sentences within a text based summary.

The curricular intervention consists of a week-long instructional unit where students prepare a text based synthesis summary on a culturally relevant article after completing the following scaffolds, a translanguaged partner discussion, text based questions, and signal word sentence frames. Empathy interviews are administered to acquire data on culturally relevant sources and or strategies that motivate student engagement. Coded interview transcriptions offer student perspectives on factors like preferred reading material and literacy activities. Furthermore, they provide excellent information for framing the steps of my intervention.

Student work samples in the form of pre and post intervention benchmarks are collected and coded based on rubric criteria in-order to assess the success of the tested literacy scaffolds in aiding Ell development of text based synthesis summaries. The study is significant in that it illustrates how common engagement strategies can be used in sequence for scaffolding the literacy skills needed to formulate a text based synthesis summary.

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Swager, Melissa

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

Melissa earned her BA in Psych from Humboldt State University and is currently completing her first year in the Higher Education in Counseling & Student Affairs Master's program. She has worked for Transitions Mental Health and at CalPsych as an Applied Behavioral Analyst. However, her favorite jobs were working at Cuesta Community College doing outreach and recruitment, and giving tours at Hearst Castle.

She loves to garden and hike when she has free time and enjoys learning about new music and podcasts. Melissa has recently been hired as the Resident Director of the Upward Bound Summer 2022 program, where she plans to hone in on all the skills and techniques she has learned this year.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Assessing the Efficacy of Mental Health Supports at Cal Poly

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research is to assess the efficacy of existing mental health supports on campus by surveying current students opinions and conducting a meta analysis and literature review of current research.

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Taggart, Roxanne

educational leadership and administration

Roxanne believes in the power of education and has an ambitious goal to be part of bringing more inclusive and robust maker spaces on campus that are dedicated to inquiry and project-based learning. Her research explores how equipped maker spaces bring lessons to life for entrepreneurs and students in tandem with an interdisciplinary education. Roxanne received her B.S. from Cal Poly Pomona and her work experience has been in the private sector as VIP Manager and Business Analyst for a proprietary hotel software that enhances employee and client services. Her favorite experience with Cal Poly has been her time as a Graduate Research Assistant with Dr. Somoza-Norton studying climate change readiness in Denmark.

Outside of her time as a student and a research assistant for the School of Education and the Orfalea College of Business, Roxanne enjoys swimming laps, spending time with her Papa and loved ones, reading, and of course eating In N Out. She has a thing for robots that bring equity to people with disabilities, UX that is actually user friendly, and is looking forward full time opportunities following Summer graduation, Go Broncos!

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RESEARCH TITLE

Shifting Passive Consumption to Active Production: A Study of a Community College Maker Space

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to determine what support and materials are available to students at the Moorpark Community College Makerspace that allow entrepreneurs to build and develop their businesses/products. Allowing students to develop literacies in the classroom then apply those literacies with tools, machines, and resources in makerspaces, shift from passive consumption to active production, learning by doing.

At Moorpark College, The MakerSpace will be evaluated, this study will support the CIE’s development and provide solutions that support entrepreneurs when creating products and services to completion in makers spaces. Moorpark College is a participant in the statewide California Community College (CCC) Maker initiative, which supports education innovation at pilot colleges and encourages scaling of innovation within the CCC Maker community of practice and beyond (Pepper-Kittredge & DeVoe, 2016). Exploratory mixed methods approach with qualitative analysis will be applied to gather data of innovators through an in-depth interview. Additionally, one-semi structured interview with the Director, Clare Sadnik who facilitates The MakerSpace. Data will be gathered in winter and spring 2022 following IRB approval.

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Tran, Kellina

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

Kellina is a first generation college and graduate student. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Education Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her experience working at the retention center at UCLA brought her to the Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs (HECSA) program at Cal Poly SLO. She is also a graduate assistant with the Mustang Success Center and Career Services.

She is pursuing this post-graduate degree with the goal of becoming an academic advisor in the future. Her research inquires on the challenges that students face and the ways in which academic advisor can provide continuous support to students through their college journey.

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RESEARCH TITLE

Academic Advising and the College Student Experience

ABSTRACT

My qualitative study aims to explore students’ understanding of an academic advisor’s role, and the qualities of academic advisors that encourage students to utilize their services as they move through their academic journey. Considering previous findings that frequent academic advising sessions have been important for reducing student attrition, it is worthwhile to study the quality of these advising sessions that motivate students to continue utilizing the service (Swecker et al., 2013). The questions I seek to explore include: What academic, personal, and professional needs are most salient to students given what year of college they are in? What type of support and characteristics do students from each grade level seek out in academic advisors?

The primary methodology of my study will be virtually conducted individual interviews, each lasting approximately 60 minutes. In these interviews, students will be asked about their understanding of an academic advisor’s role, their experiences with academic advising, and what they look for out of effective academic advising. From these responses, a qualitative coding process will be implemented to identify common themes that emerge, particularly between different grade levels. The findings of the current study will have implications for advisor training and adaptation of approaches as students progress through college, to ensure that students are retained after each year. There is also a contextual component to consider in the analysis of these findings, as the study is conducted during a time where virtual advising is more widely utilized by students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study holds a unique position among existing literature on academic advising, and the quality of academic advising can be interpreted within a larger historical context.

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Wilkinson, Espie

Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs

Espie is a first generation graduate student, and she is in her second year of the Higher Education Counseling/Student Affairs (HECSA) program. He earned her B.S. degree in Psychology and M.A. degree in Educational Leadership and Administration (ELAP) from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Espie plans to apply her education and experience in giving back, advocating and serving the local community. 

LinkedIn

RESEARCH TITLE

Native American College Students in Primarily White Institutions

ABSTRACT

According to published statistics, the five-year average from 2016 to 2020 of the student population at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo is 21,768, yet only approximately 0.14% of the total college student population is Native American. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has a 55% five-year average white student population categorizing this educational institution as a primarily white institution (PWI).

Native American students attending a PWI historically have shown a larger probability of experiencing unique cultural, social, and academic transition challenges in post-secondary education. In this qualitative and quantitative study, the author examined undergraduate, graduate, and alumni Native American college students’ experiences attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Native American college students, who attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, volunteered to complete a self-report survey.

The students’ individual responses were analyzed to identify their college life experience through rating scales as well as one open-ended question on the self-report survey to discover common themes that emerged.

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