When I joined HDFS, I wanted to explore all that the major had to offer, especially in terms of working with faculty. I read up on our professors, their research, and the opportunities they presented to undergraduates. After reaching out to some of these professors, I was lucky enough to join the Healthy Experiences Across Relationship Transitions (HEART) Lab with Dr. Brian Ogolsky.

Since then, I have built great relationships with my mentor, the grad students, and fellow undergraduate research assistants. I have also worked on my own research project, presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and made plans to attend the International Association for Relationship Research conference in London this summer.

In this project, I examined the association between personality traits and social media behaviors as well as the association between personal social media profiles and desired qualities of potential partner profiles. The guidance, support, and experience from my time in the lab has strengthened my confidence as a student and an individual.