| Comments |
"Completing a senior honors thesis at Washington University provided me with an informative introduction to the world of academic research. This project was unlike any other work I have ever done because rather than only reflecting upon the work other scholars have done, I was able to produce my own study with my own data and my own voice; granted, my study was a secondary analysis of existing data. Obtaining such data from the public schools in Minnesota was a grueling process. On several occasions, I had to travel to St. Paul to meet with multiple administrators from different schools to convince them that the research I was hoping to conduct regarding Hmong students in Minnesota was worthwhile for both their schools and for the overall status of immigrant education the United States. Going through the St. Paul Public School district to obtain my data was particularly challenging because of their rules regarding the release of sensitive information such as standardized test scores and transcripts. I had to submit several requests for such data; my application was rejected initially but after careful revision, it was accepted. Once I obtained my data, the analysis and write-up seemed fairly easy to finish. Being able to contribute to the overall discussion of minority education, particularly English language learners, has been my greatest accomplishment thus far. The experience was so positive that I plan to continue my work in educational research and hopefully make a career out of it."
Faculty Mentor: Margaret L. Brown |
