Michael is involved in a project
examining best practice outcomes in youth development, the
enhancement of various social services, and assessing numerous
social and psychological consequences associated with
homelessness.
How did you get involved in research?
I had a class with the professor conducting the homeless youth research and she
asked if I would be interested in working on the project with her.
How has participating in research impacted your education?
Participating in this research has given me the unique opportunity to apply
terms and ideas I have learned in my classes to actual research. Being an
assistant on the project has helped me to better understand these concepts with
a much more hands-on approach than any textbook can offer.
What has been the most satisfying aspect of your research experience?
I am not sure I would consider this the most satisfying aspect of the
participating in this research but I find the experience of working with these
youth to be invaluable. I think this is a rare opportunity to work with a
population that I would otherwise know very little about and have even less
contact with.
What are your future plans? How has participating in research helped you in
preparing for those future plans?
After graduating from UM-Flint, I will be applying to graduate schools around
the country. One of the most important characteristics that graduate schools
look at in their applicants is research experience. Thus, my experiences working
on this research will improve my chances of getting accepted into grad school.
Furthermore, I am also interested in applying to doctorate programs that
specialize in child and adolescent psychotherapy and working with these
populations now will also increase the likelihood that I will get into the PhD.
program of my choice.
What advice would you give to students interested in being involved in
research? I would certainly recommend to students interested in getting involved in
research to talk to their professors. I have found that my instructors are
always more than willing to discuss their research with me and, if you find that
one of them is doing something that is interesting to you, there is a good
chance that they will find some work for you on the project.
