
Tell us about your background in a couple of sentences.
I'm a junior psychology major in the BAR lab. I'm originally from Clinton, MS, and I graduated from Clinton High School in 2016. I'm currently working on a project for my Honors Thesis that examines coping styles as a potential mediator for the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol outcomes.
Why did you join the BAR Lab?
I joined the BAR lab because I was interested in how different psychological problems interact
with substance use.
What excites you about working in the BAR Lab?
The BAR lab excites me because I know that our research has a direct impact on fellow college students. Understanding the mechanisms behind substance use is essential to treatment, and I find it interesting that many different substance use factors (like PBS, DRSE, etc.) each have their own unique effects on specific psychological problems/demographic variables.
What interests you about college student substance use/misuse?
Substance use is an interesting phenomenon because it is contextualized to the individual; through our lab I've learned that one might use substances to cope, to conform to masculinity standards, to offset the stress of maladaptive perfectionism, etc. No individual fits a cookie cutter mold, so new questions can always be asked and tested.
What are your future educational/career plans?
I hope to pursue a PhD in counseling psychology.
What are your hobbies/things you like to do outside of the lab?
Outside of lab, I enjoy playing video games; I own a PS4, Nintendo Switch, and gaming laptop. I also enjoy reading Mary Oliver and visiting the Longleaf Trace (exercise trail in Hattiesburg, MS).