The Western Psychological Association conference recently took place in Tacoma, Washington, and the Skyline College chapter of Psi Beta/Psychology Club was there for it!
Each day ended with a group debrief where students shared what they learned from the sessions they attended. The titles below offer a snapshot of what was shared. You can learn more about the sessions at https://www.xcdsystem.com/wpa/program/2EImDBQ/index.cfm
· Sanctified Oppression: Patriarchy, Christianity, and Mental Health
· Perception and Memory: Applications to Real-World Events
· The Impact of Parental Absenteeism on Emotional Regulation in College Students
· In the Zone: How Flow Alters Attention and Perception of Time
· No Contact Is Not a Trend: ACEs, Adult Child Abuse, and the Psychology of Estrangement
· Teaching Takeaways: Student Engagement in Challenging Times
· The Effects of Warmth-Promoting Messaging on Feelings Toward Individuals with Substance Use Disorder and Support for Harm Reduction
The third day of the conference was especially memorable. I could not be prouder of Jorge Avalo, Olivia Lau, and Toby Zakharov for presenting their research during the Psi Beta National poster session. They engaged thoughtfully with attendees, answered questions with confidence, and represented Skyline College exceptionally well.
On our final evening together, we gathered for s’mores and reflected on our biggest takeaways from the conference. Several themes emerged:
· The value of stepping out of comfort zones and initiating conversations with strangers
· There’s no single “right” way to present research
· A renewed faith in humanity by seeing people committed to improving lives through research
· The power of coming together to exchange ideas and learn from one another
· Rekindled motivation to continue research projects
· A reminder that research doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful, it’s a starting point
· Recognition of the passion researchers bring to their work
Sincere gratitude to the Associated Students of Skyline College, Bianca Rowden Quince, Ed.D., Acting Dean of Social Science/Creative Arts, and the Skyline College Professional Development Committee for their generous support. Opportunities like this have an incredible impact on our students, and this experience would not have been possible without them.
