Working as a Team
The SHAWN Campus Survey Project was designed to gain a better understanding on how undergraduate students are impacted by the criminal-legal systems. We created an online survey with questions that asked participants if anyone in their close support system has been incarcerated or placed on probation/parole.
The recruitment involved hanging posters around campus, approaching students to ask them to voluntarily complete the survey, and team tabling events. Through these tasks, we discovered that the process of research is a much more complex journey, with obstacles to overcome, than initially anticipated. For example, as we were hanging up posters, we realized that many of our posters were getting taken down. Approaching students was nerve-wracking, however after getting in the groove it became easier. Some students were dismissive while others were intrigued by the project and showed genuine interest. The tabling events were an amazing opportunity to see the hard work we put into the project and to interact with the SCSU community.
The obstacles our team faced when trying to meet the goal of 200 participants were discouraging but ultimately helped strengthen the core of our team. During our weekly meetings, we had to get honest about the setbacks we were facing which opened the door to communicating authentically about our experiences. This was when we decided to approach students together with team tabling events.
One of the SHAWN’S purposes is to expose undergraduate students to research. At times the stress of juggling academics and work was causing us to reassess what we can each realistically accomplish. How can we make participating in the SHAWN research project more feasible while still staying on course to meet project deadlines? We are encouraging each other to work towards our deadlines and practicing mindfulness as we embrace that each task is another opportunity to push past our comfort zones.
The fear of not being heard loomed over me while I approached strangers in the Student Center. However, by sharing these concerns with the team, I knew it was a shared anxiety and that I was not alone: I had my teammates with me for support. Our obstacles are not barriers and our efforts have allowed us to grow stronger. Through our communication, I have gained a deeper understanding of what drives our team. The remarkable skills each student Research Assistant brings to the team will help to amplify the voices of the incarcerated women who share their stories through the SHAWN project.