Gabriella Mayers ’21 recently won the prestigious Rockefeller Institute of Government Future Leaders in Policy contest.
The contest asked SUNY students to think about the policy implications of their research. Based on their expertise, they proposed policy proposals to New York state policy makers. Winners were invited to publish a blog based on their suggestions.
Gabriella, who graduated from Stony Brook with a degree in sociology and uses those synonyms, provided recommendations on how to better support people of American color LGBTQ +, especially with regard to mental health. Published policy and research papers. Later published on the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s website, this paper is intended to force mental health professionals to undergo specific training in working with LGBTQ + colored races and to learn more. We have provided recommendations such as establishing a task force. We recommend barriers to access to mental health that are commonly experienced in this community.
“I’ve been working on this for two years, and despite all the research I’ve done, I still have an overwhelming amount of research out there, some of which I feel is outdated. “Mayers said. “That’s why I believe it’s so important to fund this kind of research, and then make the right recommendations and LGBTQ + colored races are of high quality mental health care. You can fully understand why it is so difficult to access... “
The study and subsequent policy recommendations were the result of an independent study conducted by Myers under the supervision of Crystal Fleming, a professor of sociology and Africana studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Myers and Fleming met in a class on racism and ethnic relations in Stoney Brook during the first semester of Mayers. Myers admits that he has completely changed both her perspective and career trajectory in this class.
“I noticed that she had a lot to talk about in and out of class and in books. [How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide], Crossed what I was interested in, “Meyer’s explained. “Ultimately, her class influenced my decision to change my major to sociology.”
Fleming was equally impressed by Mayers, who showed great dedication in the early days of the COVID pandemic. “The amazing thing about Gabby is that this independent study was done in the spring of 2020. They were very enthusiastic about continuing and completing the work,” Fleming said. I am saying.
The projects that Mayers undertook under Fleming’s guidance ultimately became the basis for competitive policies and research papers. But as far as the Mayers are concerned, the victory is far from the end of this project. They are currently applying for a Master’s degree program in public health with the aim of continuing this important research and earning a PhD in sociology.
“This is just the beginning, I’m just getting started,” Mayers said. “This is my long-term goal that I am 100% dedicated to.”
— Lin Brown
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