Hi there! My name is Will, and I am a senior who worked with the wonderful Dr. Becker-Blease on the effect that COVID had on those in foster care.

A little about me before I describe my time with URSA. I am aspiring to be a children's counselor with the eventual transition into becoming a children's psychologist. I know that my field is very much in constant flux when it comes to methods and theories. New discoveries and methods of healthy recovery and coping are seemingly found all the time. I had thought that joining URSA would give me a unique, and needed, perspective to further my career.

However, when I originally applied for URSA, I felt like an imposter. I had never done anything research related except for the occasional Google search for a research paper to use as a citation. When I finally went to my first meeting, it was with Dr. Becker-Blease, along with two of her associates who were working on their own projects and papers. I sat there and tried to sponge up new terms and to imagine how I was going to accomplish something that would be on par with those papers I read from.

And that's where I went wrong. It is illogical to think that my first time doing something that I would be wildly successful. Especially with something as complex as writing a research paper. There was so much new info and things I had never considered. For some reason when starting out, I had always assumed that getting the data would be the easy part. Boy was I wrong. Trying to get the data I needed just to start writing and comparing was the most difficult part of the process. Because I was trying to research information related to children, there were a great number of hoops to jump through. It stalled me for weeks and gave me high amounts of anxiety, and week by week would go by without being able to make progress because we would be waiting on approval just to get the data.

To be perfectly honest, I failed. But I failed in the sense that I wasn't able to complete my presentation in time for CUE. In actuality, I did perfectly fine. And I am STILL doing fine. I am still working with Dr. Becker-Blease and working to find the effect that COVID had on foster children.

What I realized is that the important part is what you find, not how soon you get it. It took a while, but I finally came to understand that research is about just that – the research. It's not a grade or deadline (usually); it's about the information you find and the impact it has. If you are considering research, do it. Even if it takes years, the info you may find will make a difference, no matter how small.

What was your path to OSU?  

My path to OSU has been a little convoluted. I graduated from high school and had no idea what I wanted to do for college, so I took a year off to decide.

From that point, I decided to go to Corban University in Salem for a few personal reasons. I originally chose to major in math , but quickly realized that math was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I met my fiancé, switched to counseling, and then took another semester off — COVID classes were not cutting it for me.

During that time, I decided I needed a change and found that OSU had one of the best human development and family sciences programs in the United States.

I also liked OSU and at one point was planning on playing baseball for OSU. I took a tour of the school and decided it was the place for me. This made me a transfer student, but that was a relatively seamless process.

Why are you interested in research?

I am interested in research for a couple of reasons. I personally want to be a children's counselor – and eventually a psychologist – which requires me to have deep and well-rounded knowledge to provide the best help I can.

I chose to take part in a research group that focuses primarily on depression in children to get an intimate understanding of the information, how it is gathered and how to apply it.

Another reason is that I want to get a master’s degree and eventually a doctoral degree, which requires having fundamental knowledge of research, as well as how to write professional papers.

Taking part in URSA seemed like the best way to get hands-on experience under the tutelage of someone who does research regularly.

Why did you want to be part of Healthy Discoveries?

I wanted to take part in Healthy Discoveries in part to help promote the idea that research isn't that scary, and that with the right help it can be a fun and educational experience.

I also need the financial help, making Healthy Discoveries a double win in my book.

What research will you be working on and with whom?

I am currently working with Kathy Becker Blease on how COVID affected those related to foster care, with a focus on their mental health and depression levels.

My paper is going to focus on how COVID affected foster children's mental health.

What are your future career or academic plans?

I plan on being a children's counselor, working initially in a school. I may eventually go another step, but that is the current plan in motion.