Receiving a Roger S Smith Undergraduate Student Research Award gave Shungu-Elaine Mushayandebvu—an undergraduate student from Augustana Faculty—the chance to work on a summer research project in Psychology with faculty member Dr Sean Moore.
Shungu explored the pros and cons of programs aimed at boosting self-esteem.
The project included many tasks familiar to researchers, including doing a literature review and presenting a paper at a conference.
As she sums up her experience,
“The Augustana Summer Student Research Awards are a great program. As a research assistant, I got the chance to use what I learned in the classroom and apply it to a real world setting.
“Money was the main reason for all my previous summer jobs. I learned how to paint houses; I guess that might come in handy some time in the future.
“I learned how to make and serve food in a number of Calgary restaurants. Though there are valuable skills and lessons I learned from these jobs, I could not directly relate any of them to my desired professional goals and what I am being trained for.
“Only the summer research award gave me what I view as a glimpse into my future—an opportunity to do the work while still under the guidance and tutorship of my supervisor.”