Jada Daniel’23 presents her research on Channels and domestic minority students at the 2023 student symposium.

The Beloit College Student Research Symposium showcases student research across the college. While some students present research conducted as far away as Madagascar, others find opportunities closer to home. In the 2023 Symposium, several Beloit College students presented on their on-campus internships analyzing institutional data.

Jada Daniel’23 presents survey results related to the college's integrated learning outcomes.

Jada Daniel’23 presented her research on the impact of Career Channels on domestic minority students. It was part of a multi-year project with Career Works, conducted under the close mentorship of Emily Sager, and funded by a grant from the Midwest Association of College Employers.

Jada found that while students on average were less interested in Career Channels opportunities than her research predicted, domestic minority students were more likely to be extremely interested than students on average. Jada noted that a major challenge of the research was insufficient response rates, which limited the statistical power of the dataset, and she encouraged students to respond to institutional surveys to support future research like hers.

A triple major in Sociology, Political Science, and Critical Identity Studies, Jada found ways to extend her classroom studies into her internship. Between qualitative and quantitative research methods from Sociology to an understanding of the intersection between race and social structures in Critical Identity Studies, Jada has shown that putting her learning into practice is a valuable skill.

River Pham’23 has been doing on-campus internships with Career Works, under the mentorship of Jessica Fox-Wilson.

River Pham’23 presents her research on student outcomes.

She presented her research examining the relationship between students engaging with Career Works and having desirable post-graduation outcomes. River’s project started in the fall semester, collecting information on graduates’ outcomes through the college’s annual First Destination Survey.

The spring semester shifted to the analysis of the survey data, including merging in student attendance at Career Works events and one-on-one appointments. River found a positive correlation between student engagement with Career Works and their post-graduation outcomes. The takeaway? Whether you go to Career Works group events or make appointments, the more often you talk to Career Works, the higher the chance of a good outcome. This research was not just a side project, but an integral part of the Career Works research program.  And for River, a quantitative economics major, this work was a direct application of what she’s been learning in the classroom.

Student research at Beloit is not just a side project, but an integral part of the work of the campus office. Emily Sager notes that both students brought unique skills and perspectives to the projects in Career Works, and carried out work that would not be possible otherwise. 

River Pham’23 chats with students at the 2023 Student Symposium reception.