Name: Emily Sullivan
Major/Minor/Concentration: Psychology/Sociology
Graduation Year: 2019
What are you doing this summer?: Research
What exactly are you doing?: This summer, as a recipient of the Greisch Scholarship, Dr. Gallo-Cruz and I are analyzing both self-help books as well as memoirs which focus on the topic of dysfunctional families. We are coding these books for the types of dysfunction and the circumstances surrounding the situational or personal challenges they faced. Stemming from this, and most importantly, we are looking at how these people have overcome and moved past their difficult histories. Additionally, we are putting these codes into a coding software that allows us to compare across the different books.
How did you hear about this opportunity?: My sociology advisor, Dr. Gallo-Cruz, had previously created this project with a Holy Cross alumnus. She asked me to help her this summer in the next stage of the project, which I accepted.
What are you most excited about doing within this program?: This research allows me to put what I learn in the classroom into practice. Seeing the theories and concepts which I have learned map directly onto the cases that I am studying displays the direct correlation between theory, practice, and real world application.
What are you hoping to gain from your experience?: This experience gives me the opportunity to see what it is like to be a social scientist. Additionally, I will be participating in the Sociology Honors Program my senior year and this work will be helpful practice for me in creating my thesis.
Do you have any advice for prospective students thinking about doing research?: I would highly recommend doing summer research. It gives you a different perspective on the work that you do as a student as well as that of your professors. If you want to do summer research, talk to your advisors. They can directly assist you or help you find someone who can. Your advisors also know your strengths and weaknesses as well as the classes you have taken which also can help them send you in the right direction.
When you were in high school, did you expect to have this opportunity in college?: I did not expect to have this opportunity in college. Most people just think about the opportunities that you have during the academic year, but Holy Cross offers many different options for the summer as well that I didn’t even know about until I got here.
