I attended the annual meeting of the Southern Sociological Society
from April 10th to 13th, 2019, where I delivered a presentation titled “Healthcare Access
and Academic Success Among Transgender College Students.” This presentation
concerned research I performed as an undergraduate capstone project. I
collected primary survey data from transgender students at colleges and
universities to examine whether their academic performance was correlated with
their healthcare access. This research is important for several reasons.
Existing research is sparse, but broadly suggests poor mental health outcomes
and negative experiences in academic spaces among transgender students. These
issues are exacerbated by a lack of knowledge about transgender people among
medical practitioner.
My research employed an online survey method to collect information about
the healthcare experiences of transgender students as well as their
self-reported sense of academic well-being, grade point average, whether they
had failed classes, and whether they expected to graduate on time. Results
indicated a possible correlation between medical treatment and having failed
classes. However, those who were not given proper medical treatment reported
greater well-being than those who were. I speculated that trans people who did
not receive appropriate treatment may, in some contexts, be able to avoid
discrimination if others are not aware that they are transgender.
At the meeting of the Southern
Sociological Society, I presented at one of the first sessions of the
conference. My presentation was a success, with about a dozen people came to
one of the first paper sessions of the conference. I also had the opportunity
to attend several other paper sessions, including some with similar topics to
my own, where I was exposed to new ideas and met new people. I also volunteered
at the conference’s registration desk for several hours, during which time I
was able to meet some of the conference’s organizers and many attendees.
Overall, the conference provided me an opportunity to develop my presentation
skills, network with others in my field and gain a glimpse into the kind of
work I may find myself doing in graduate school.
