News home Evangel in the newsSocial Work seniors end year with capital trip, research presentations
May 12, 2009
Social Work seniors on the capital steps
in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Front: Emily Read
Back (from left): Becca Wiseman, Sarah Hogan, Amelia Lo, Julia Spear, Katie Gabel
Senior trip to Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri
Six senior Social Work students went on a two-day excursion to Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri in April. They toured a child-advocacy center, met legislators, and learned more about how their coursework and their faith can translate into making a real difference in the world.
They spent the first day in Columbia, where they toured the University of Missouri School of Social Work. They also met with Evangel alumna Kristi Turner at Rainbow House, where they received a tour. Rainbow House provides emergency shelter for families and children in crisis. It also serves as a child-advocacy center where children have a safe environment to disclose abuse or neglect, a transitional-living program for homeless youth ages 16 to 21, and a clinical program including therapy and parenting classes.
In Jefferson City they went to the state capital building, where they met with Sen. Norma Champion and legislative staffer, Reggie McElhannon. The students who went were Julia Spear, Amelia Lo, Emily Read, Sarah Hogan, Katie Gabel and Becca Wiseman. They were accompanied by Lacey Nunnally, director of the Social Work Program.
“This was an excellent opportunity for Social Work students to network with influential policy makers in our state,” said Wiseman. “This activity was also a great way for us to learn about policy work and also integrate our faith into the political community.”
Research presentations
On April 13 and 14, seniors presented the research projects they had worked on all year.
Projects were chosen in the fall and were generally associated with the practicum each student did. Research was conducted throughout the school year. Each student was required to do a 30-minute presentation.
The studies were as follows:
- Rachel Anderson: The Evaluation of the “Why Try” Program at Willard Middle School
- Rachel Bielefeld: The Effect of Physical Therapy on the Rate of Mobility in Nursing Homes
- Jen Dawson: The Effects of Adoption Openness Levels on Adoptive Families
- Katie Gabel: Grief Share Program Evaluation
- Sarah Graver: Self-Esteem and Body Esteem in College Women in Relation to Ethnicity, Childhood Socioeconomic Status, and Family Makeup
- Sarah Hogan: The Effect of Environmental Stressors on Substance Abuse Treatment Dropout
- Amelia Lo: Effectiveness of Outpatient Therapies for Patients Suffering from Cerebral Vascular Accidents
- Emily Read: Hopelessness, Helplessness, and Haplessness: A Study on Birth Parents in the Child Welfare System
- Janna Rekedal: The Effect of Loss and Attachment on Psychopathology in Adolescent Males
- Julia Spear: KLASS Program Satisfaction
- Becca Wiseman: The Amount of Compassion Fatigue Experience by Hospice Workers at Oxford