Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Layla, Layla, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Layla left Ethiopia 10 years ago to look for work opportunities. She left behind a father and three brothers. She went to Syria on a three-year work contract. She worked in a house and learned Arabic. She then went to Turkey by boat and then went on to Greece for 5 years. She worked and learned the Greek language. When she became pregnant she had to stop working. She travelled to Serbia to Macedonia to Austria all on foot. Then the Red Cross moved Layla and her daughter to Giessen, Germany where a roommate periodically beat her baby. Seeking safety …

Katja, Ketevahi 'Katje', Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ketevahi “Katja” is from Georgia. She’s in her late 40’s. She grew up on a farm in the country and became the financial support for her family after her mother died and her father became “emaciated.” When Putin came to power, diplomatic ties deteriorated between Georgia and Russia, which eventually led to war. She fled her country using forged documents and first worked in Turkey but has now lived in Naples for nine years and regularly sends money home to her brother, who cares for their father.

Katja expresses her feelings about war, government, liberty, and what it means to …

Illiteracy Among Adults In The Us, Chloe Haderlie, Alyssa Clark

Ballard Brief

Illiteracy affects a person's ability to fully participate in and contribute to the world around them. About 18% of the US adult population is functionally illiterate. Hispanics, older people, and incarcerated people are more likely to be low literate than other US adults. Major factors influencing literacy development include education, socioeconomic status, learning English as a second language, learning disabilities, and crime. Many of these causes and consequences of illiteracy are intersecting and cyclical. Additionally, illiteracy is perpetuated from parent to child and is likely to lead to higher chances of unemployment and poverty. Adult literacy programs with a developed …

Phd’S, Professionalism, And Public Office: The Effeect Of Education And Professional Experience On Effectiveness In The U.S. House Of Representatives, Mckenna Westra, Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We commonly attribute advanced levels of education with increased skill and capabilities. While the theory backing this assumption has been proven to be true in a variety of applications, often times the trend can unintentionally be extrapolated to other areas. As voters, we are inclined to view candidates with higher or more prestigious education as more experienced than other candidates. I will study the effects that professional and educational backgrounds have on legislators’ performance in office. If the assumption holds true that those with more education are better qualified, then these individuals should remain in office for more terms, should …

Second Generation Immigrants: Their Self-Esteem And Educational Aspirations, Anika Price

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Immigrants experience unique stresses & discrimination, which leads to lower levels of self-esteem. (Stets & Burke, 2003; Kao, 1999; Gee et al., 2010). Do Second-Generation Immigrants experience the same thing? If so, will that affect their educational expectations for the future?

Leonard Bagalwa, Leonard Bagalwa, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Leonard was forced to join the military at the age of 17 in his home country of the Congo. A Catholic priest smuggled me out of the country and I lived in refugee camps in several different countries until 2004 when he came to the United States.

In 2005, a couple came to Leonard when he was homeless in the Provo library. They found out that he needed help and offered to let me live with them. They ended up paying my tuition for my education and I went to college for five years.

Leonard uses his experiences to teach …