Springing into Spring Semester

In first semester, I was very successful in completing my Original Work and interviewing plenty of potential mentors. My first semester S.M.A.R.T. goals were to narrow my research focus to secure a final research topic for my original work by October 9, 2020 and begin contacting my interviewees with the request to mentor me on November 1st and finalize a mentor by November 13th. I was able to complete the first goal, which was finalizing my research topic by early October, but unfortunately I have been severely delayed in finalizing a mentor. I continued to interview professionals all throughout October, November, and December, but hadn't arrived at a decision in that time on who to contact. Today, I contacted a potential interviewee, Dr. Sunita Stewart from UT Southwestern's Psychiatry Department. Dr. Stewart has decades of experience in the field of psychiatry and has served a number of roles within the field, including practicing as a psychiatrist in Hong Kong, conducting large-scale psychiatric research with adolescent human trafficking victims, and her current role as a health department administrator at UT Southwestern. I chose to contact her with the potential mentorship position as she not only taught me about her scientific approach to psychiatry, but the valuable importance of a spiritual and holistic understanding of patients to treat their symptoms. I am excited to hear from Dr. Stewart and look forward to my next steps in the mentorship process. I will continue contacting potential mentors next class period and start brainstorming ideas for my Final Product, which I would like to differ from my Original Work.