Undergraduate Student Wins First Place at National Conference

UL Lafayette Senior, Kirstin Wilson, placed first at the Research Association of Minority Professors (RAMP) conference in Washington D.C. This year, the conference focued on "Challenging The Weaponization Of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)."

Kirstin's presentation, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Their Effects on the Brain in African American Children, focuses on ACEs, which are defined as traumatic events in a child’s life from birth to 17 years of age. The adverse effects of ACEs are highest in African American communities (Zhang X, Monnat SM, 2021). ACEs can take a toll on a child's development, mental health, and education when he or she is categorized as high-risk. The toxic stress caused by ACEs can lead to permanent damage to the brain (Nakazawa, 2015, p. 32). This damage affects the child's present reality, such as their education and psychological development, and their future adult health unless intervention methods and protective factors take place.

Kirstin is a student in the College of Education and Human Development, majoring in Elementary Education Gr 1-5; she also represents Unversity College and the Department of Special Services/TRIO.

View Kirstin's proposal here.

View Kirstin's presentation here.