Completing an internship +5 (Kathya Lavado-Arrington, Class of 2028)

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be part of the third cohort of the 2026 Harvard University Du Bois Scholars Program, where I spent the summer conducting research at Harvard alongside an amazing cohort of scholars from HBCUs across the country. I had the privilege of conducting research in the Harvard Department of Psychology’s Laboratory for Developmental Studies under the faculty mentorship of Dr. Ashley Thomas, where I explored how children determine who they can trust. More specifically, my research examined how children’s perceptions of shared values between their parents and potential teachers may influence who they trust and are willing to learn from. Throughout the summer, I had the opportunity to work directly with families and children, facilitate research sessions, develop stimuli, while also coding and interpreting data. One of the most surreal moments of my summer was presenting my work during our final research presentations in front of my HDBS cohort and Harvard faculty.

This experience connected closely to what I have been learning within both my Sociology and psychology course at Spelman. I have learned how not only social relationships, but also institutional structures have shaped the way that people understand the world around them. My research at Harvard has allowed me to see these ideas through the developmental/cognitive lens by examining these aspects though children. It also connects to my interest in education because it allows me to think more in-depth between children, parents, and teachers and how the relationships between these three parties can influence learning in the classroom.