Stepping Into The Unknown
One student discovers a love for research & expands her horizons Guadalupe ‘Lupe’ Barrera didn’t know a soul at Emporia State when she first arrived from Kansas City, Missouri. Drawn by the strong reputation of the School of Business, she decided to override her nerves and shyness and push herself to try something new. What she didn’t know at the time is it would be the first of many steps she would make outside of her comfort zone. By the end of her three years as an accounting major, she would be actively involved in student organizations and research projects that spanned well beyond her field of study. Now, as she prepares to graduate this spring, she has developed a newfound level of confidence, curiosity and a desire to push past her limits and grow. It started with a nudge from a friend. “One of my roommates talked to me about ESU Ambassadors, and I said, ‘What? I don't know anything about this college, and I am scared to talk to people.’” But her friend encouraged her to not let those worries stand in her way of going for it. She went for the interview and was asked to join the student organization that serves as the face of ESU and gives daily campus tours. Having that experience as an ESU Ambassador helped her become a little bolder. She joined H.A.L.O. (Hispanic American Leadership Organization), eventually becoming Treasurer, and became a member of the Honors College. This decision would open a gateway to research exploration that has had an enormous influence on the scope of her education. Since her freshman year, she has conducted multiple research projects over a range of topics from geography to sociology. “I love accounting, but I also love the humanities. I love learning about what's going on in our world. You can always connect it.” It is this thirst for understanding that draws her to such diverse subjects. “I want to know about people. I want to know how I can help.” Gary Wyatt, associate provost and dean of the Honors College, says she has taken advantage of the opportunities presented to her. “Lupe has truly chosen to have a high-impact educational experience at ESU. She has taken full advantage of the Honors College and what it offers in several ways, including being mentored by distinguished scholar and Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor Dr. Phil Kelly on a geopolitics project. This allowed Lupe the opportunity to accomplish something most undergraduates only dream about, namely coauthoring a scholarly article with Dr. Kelly and fellow student, Jack Jewett, that has been published in an international peer-reviewed journal. Her research on the classical geopolitics is a testament to what a motivated student and a faculty mentor can accomplish.” Last year, this passion and curiosity prompted her to turn her research to the urgent issue of the moment, COVID-19 and food insecurity. It was a project that would end with her research earning second place in the #SwarmHunger Leadership Awards, a wonderful confirmation of the value of her work. This competition was sponsored by the EAT (Emporia At The Table) Initiative as a showcase and competition for Emporia State students to present their work addressing food insecurity topics.
She says of the experience in spring of 2020, “Emotionally, it was frustrating. I was researching a problem that I myself was going through, my family was going through, people that I know we're going through. Dealing with all that and trying to figure out the problem was very relatable.”
“I want to know about people. I want to know how I can help.”
As she wrestled with the emotional and mental challenges of the topic, she also had to battle the logistical challenges COVID was creating. She contacted multiple organizations but was having difficulty getting them to respond to her. The initial lockdown and subsequent restrictions meant it was impossible to meet in person or visit the facilities. In spite of these roadblocks, she worked with her faculty advisor, Dr. Rob Catlett, associate professor of Mathematics and Economics, revised her plans, seized the opportunities available and persevered. “I decided to focus on one organization, making a case study and figuring out how their mechanisms and their ways of helping people changed.” Her resulting study would be called Dynamics of Food Insecurity in a Pandemic—Seton Center: Issues, Challenges and Analysis of Potential Solutions. She learned a great deal about food insecurity: the challenges of reaching those in need and the often invisible nature of the problem. But through the research, she also gained a new sense of self. “I feel like I picked up social skills. I know what to say. I can present myself really well. I am not shy.” It also helped her build her confidence and independence. “I feel like I can get a lot of things done on my own without having to bug anyone. I just use my resources. That's something I feel like also comes from research.” Looking back at where she started as a freshman, a little timid and shy, she credits her willingness to stretch beyond her comfort zone and let her curiosity lead her as being key to her success. Each step into the unknown helped her become bolder and braver, and opened another door of opportunity. Wyatt is effusive when he talks about all that Lupe has accomplished in her time as a student at Emporia State. “She is a student with exceptional academic skills who will be graduating “With Honors” from the Honors College this spring. She is bound to be a success in either graduate school or on the job. She represents the very best of what ESU has to offer.” Research was key in providing her a transformational education. It was formative, even though it didn’t directly relate to her field of study. She learned about herself while she was learning her subject matter. “Research definitely challenges you. It challenges you because you go in with one mindset, you think you know your answer is going to be this, and you go for it. But, that's not how research works. Research takes you beyond that. It's beautiful. I feel like you always learn more than you expected to learn. I recommend research to everybody.” She has one other word of advice for any new student arriving on campus. “Get out of your comfort zone. If you don’t, you're going to miss everything.”
Although it was ultimately a success, from an emotional and practical perspective, it was her most challenging project to date.
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spring 2021
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