Alicia M. Avery
Buena Vista High School
SVSU Honors Program
Alicia Avery is a student in SVSU's psychology program, and recently completed an honors thesis project, which allowed her to gain hands-on experience with a faculty member's research project, and also allowed her to take an in-depth look at an issue that is close to her heart.
The idea for Alicia's thesis, which is titled, "The Effect of Absent Fathers on the African American Community," began in her Experimental Psychology class, in which students learn about how professionals conduct research in the discipline.
"My thesis was generated from my own personal experience of not having a father. In looking at the pattern for divorce in my own family, I wanted to research the larger effect of absent fathers on African American families so I could better the lives of my own children. This project allowed me to look at my own experience within the framework of the larger community."
"The idea began with a class project, in which I designed the study instruments and developed a research plan. The professor told his colleague, Professor De Vos, about my research in passing, and Dr. De Vos became interested because it resonated with his own project on moral socialization. He then became my advisor."
"I chose to focus on the Black church on account of its role as the largest independent institution within the African American community, serving as a source of stability, strength, moral development and support for the African American family."
"Professor De Vos taught me how my project fits within the larger framework of his project on moral socialization. He helped me to fine-tune the research process, and taught me how to understand, report, and interpret the statistics."
"Most important, my project will give me data the community will be able to use to encourage and strengthen family bonds; increase the mentorship of young boys to foster responsibility; and seek out single-parent households in need of resources such as childcare, financial assistance, and other services for kids."
"The project was very time consuming and at times frustrating, but in the end, I love doing this work!"
"SVSU's psychology program is very exciting because it teaches you to dig deeper into understanding behavior, and there is a great deal of hands-on experience to complement what's learned in the classroom."
"The faculty are always enthused and excited about teaching. They have an open-door policy for questions and for your enthusiasm as a student. I have learned a great deal from them, and received important guidance, which has helped me to deal with obstacles in- and outside the classroom."
Alicia is now preparing to take GRE, the entrance exam for graduate programs in the liberal arts. She would then like to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, or Michigan State.