Before this experience, I had never seen myself as someone capable of being involved in the research field. I had believed that research was an area I was not qualified for, and was intimidated by the idea of entering this new space. Having little understanding of what research looked like in the psychology field, I attended the undergraduate research fair in the fall of my junior year. There I was surprised to find a broad variety of research opportunities, many relating to fields I was interested in. One of these labs was the Kids’ Thinking Lab, studying the emergence of children’s early number concepts. Having previously worked in the educational field, I found an interest in early developmental psychology after having seen preschool-aged children reach a variety of developmental milestones. I began to see research as an opportunity to broaden my understanding of early cognitive development and the psychology field. I first met Dr. Melissa Libertus at a lab meeting, where I was also introduced to other staff, students, and the many projects involved in this lab. Over the last year, I have been lucky to work as a member of her team and continue to attend these meetings. Dr. Libertus has created a space that encourages students to seek opportunities, often bringing in graduated staff members to share their current projects and offer advice. Since joining the research project last year, I have gained valuable insights that have supported my ability to succeed in my career and academics as a result of this experience. 

Being an undergraduate research assistant and conducting my research has been an amazing opportunity. As I had hoped, this experience has broadened my understanding of the field and allowed me to develop new skills important to my career and academic goals. I believe the skills I have developed as a result of this experience are useful in various settings beyond research. Skills like time management, working with other staff, data collection, and research analysis will continue to be relevant as I attend graduate school for my MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Additionally, the knowledge I have gained about cognitive development has helped me to apply more useful practices outside my academics. Since joining the lab I have continued to work in educational settings, where I have become more aware of the ways I include numeric concepts in their everyday activities to better support their development. My current research specifically aims to observe any possible effects COVID-19 may have had on the quality of numeracy talk in the home. Gaps in academic achievement can result from a variety of factors. Research supports that children exposed to more frequent and high-quality numeracy talk have greater academic achievement and cognitive functioning than students who do not, presenting as early as kindergarten. The recent pandemic resulted in many students and their families having to suddenly readjust to at-home schooling, and how households responded to this will likely impact their children’s cognitive development. As someone interested in entering the educational field and working with children, I must be aware of the possible impacts the pandemic has on these students so I can provide proper support. 

If I can offer any advice to students interested in research it would be to ask questions and seek opportunities from those around you. The support and guidance of Dr. Melissa Libertus, head faculty of the lab and my current mentor for this fellowship, is what has allowed me to achieve this fellowship opportunity. I spent the last year working as an undergraduate research assistant for the lab on the PPEL project, transcribing recorded research sessions that will then be coded for relevant information by other staff. Wanting to seek more opportunities to get involved in the lab, I met with Dr. Libertus to discuss possible options. She was able to give me a variety of resources for fellowships and honors theses through the University of Pittsburgh, later helping me to formulate the research questions I am currently working on, connecting me with other staff members with fellowship experience, and revising my proposal drafts. I would not have been able to be where I am today, both in my research and in my academic journey, if it were not for the people I have had the opportunity to meet at this university.