LAUREN METCALF

Thesis: Creating Communities of Wellness for DRC Refugees: Lessons Learned from the Field

Thesis Director:  Dr. Joseph Hellweg, Department of Religion

"I am incredibly honored to have received the Bess H. Ward Thesis Award. The scholarship has helped my project immensely by giving me the opportunity to purchase data analysis and transcription software. My thesis, which examines the health of the Congolese refugee community in Tallahassee, is primarily based on interviews of the community members. The software allows me to complete the interviews and analyze them in a timely manner. Without the scholarship, I would not have been able to pursue this type of project because I would not have been able to purchase the necessary software.

The Bess H. Ward Award has also had an impact on my overall FSU experience as well as my post graduation plans. After completing my thesis in Tallahassee, I hope to work with my thesis director to continue examining the needs of African refugee communities in Florida. The award has allowed me to complete the groundwork analysis required to apply for future grants and to continue my research project.

Having the support of the scholarship committee and the opportunities to pursue undergraduate research at FSU have been life changing. I started in research as a freshman through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity, and since then I have had the opportunity to present at departmental symposiums, the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), and the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) national conference. While I didn’t think of myself as a researcher when I first began college, the continued support of the [Honors Program] and now the support of the Bess H. Ward Thesis Award committee have been instrumental in helping me realize my future goals of continuing public health research."

-Lauren Metcalf, Spring 2021 Bess H. Ward Thesis Award Winner

READ ABOUT LAUREN'S HONORS IN THE MAJOR MENTORING EXPERIENCE