Carmen Zapata
Carmen ZapataRipon College, psychology
GSEF Fellow, Cohort 1
Research Placement: University of Michigan
“This summer I learned the true importance of being available for the peers around you.”
How would you describe yourself in a few sentences?
I was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and came to Chicago when I was eight years old. I am a Psychology major in Ripon College in Wisconsin. I plan on attending graduate school in the fall of 2018.
What kind of research are you working on this summer? Who are you working with?
This summer I conducted Research at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I worked with Dr. Myles Durkee in the Psychology Department. I conducted quantitative research using surveys to investigate the implications of the accusation of “acting white” on Black and Latina female colleges students.
What have you learned so far?
This summer I learned the true importance of being available for the peers around you. At times it may seem that things are going incredibly bad; however, the support of peers is truly empowering.
What part(s) of this experience will benefit you most? How so?
From this experience, I will benefit as I now have an open door to much more than would be available before. At University of Michigan, there are important people and faculty who now know of my interests, research, and the importance of these to me. My research and experiences also opens up the doors to opportunities in other programs at other universities.
