The Global and Media Effects of Covid-19

Cassandra Ayoub, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Biology and minor in Business

I wanted my capstone topic to be something that everyone could relate to and have a basic understanding of. As a biology major and with my desire to go into the healthcare field, I chose to write about Covid-19, as this virus has been constantly adapting and changing the world around us. I have family members that worked during the pandemic as a paramedic, a nurse, and a doctor; and all three of them had many first-hand experiences of working in the healthcare field during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I decided to tie in modern day social media because the internet and social media usage plays a huge role in everyone’s life. In our modern age, we have access to so many facts, articles, posts and videos right at our fingertips. During the pandemic specifically, I have seen so many posts or memes related to the pandemic shared on social media. People have also used social media platforms to share and voice their personal opinions, especially their personal points of view on subjects of social distancing, mask wearing, the Covid-19 virus, and their views on having to take the vaccine.

While social media may be a great way to share things globally, there should also be an emphasis that when sharing information regarding the pandemic, they should be factual and research-based blogs or articles posts.

I only had a limited amount of time to do my research project, and I did my best to find scholarly articles and info graphs that related to the topics I discussed in my capstone. If I had the chance to pursue my research, I would want to find more information on the Covid-19 variants and research how the variants were formed. Additionally, I would want to speak with and interview some of the researchers that had first taken notice to the virus, and to ask them their thoughts about when Covid had started as something small, then grew into the global pandemic. I would ask for their feedback on some of the information that has been shared over the internet and social media about the virus and the vaccine, and how this virus affected their personal lives.

This was my first time working on such a large research project, and I was able to present my capstone during the Undergraduate Research Conference.

Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health

Kyle Hapuarachchi, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Biology Health Science Science 

When thinking about my capstone, I knew I wanted to work with Psychology and how the mental health in the U.S. differs to the mental health of third world countries. With some adaptation and the help of my mentor Professor Sukhram, we came up with the idea of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of both college students and frontline healthcare workers (FHCWs).

My purpose in doing this research was to ensure that the mental health issues that arose during the pandemic would be mitigated in the case of another mental health crisis.

In order to do this narrative review in a structured way, I looked at four different studies. Two of the studies dealt with CUNY students that had mental health issues, while the other two studies were about frontline healthcare workers and their struggles with mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think recognizing the areas that make for poor mental health is important to understand. As a CUNY student and someone who wants to work in the healthcare field, it is important to understand the potential mental health crises I may be working in.

With the help of Professor Sukhram and the Writing Center, I was able to write an insightful narrative review that explained the importance of looking at mental health issues due to COVID-19. My mentor assisted me with similar peer-reviewed articles to read since I had been unsure on what to do and how to format my paper. This allowed me to get used to another version of writing reports; it was a completely new ballgame. Understanding the difference between facts and opinion was something that I had to get accustomed to. 

Overall, working on this project showed me that although things are tough in the beginning there is a light at the end of the tunnel in which you will find success. 

 

Advice on Completing Your Capstone Project

 John Kamil, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Psychology

I completed my capstone project with Dr. Florette Cohen as my mentor, which was truly an honor because I learned so much by working vigorously with her. To all the future students worrying about this project, I advise you that you take a breath and take it day by day. Dr. Cohen helped me spread the paper out throughout the semester, so I did not get too bombarded with everything else going on with school. Writing a little bit every week and putting in the time helped me complete it with no major issues at all.

It is very crucial that you communicate well with your mentor and anyone else who is involved in your project. This goes without saying because we all know and understand how important communication is in college. Some things I learned from working with Dr. Cohen include professionalism, time management, multi-tasking, and online research tools. Assisting in research gave me hands-on experience in my particular field which was also very helpful.

You can explore your hobbies through research, learn something new, improve your problem-solving abilities, and present yourself with fresh challenges. You will have the chance to collaborate closely with a mentor, a faculty member, or another accomplished researcher, while you embark on your research project.

To get the most out of your college experience, you should aim to seize every opportunity. Working on projects, whether in a lab or somewhere else, is a good opportunity to hone your skills, identify the work you excel in, and be ready for graduate school or a profession. Such initiatives frequently result in presentations at academic conferences, which can be very helpful when you submit applications for graduate school, fellowships, or even jobs.

Each academic discipline has unique research issues and approaches. As a researcher, you look for solutions to problems that pique your interest. Your research question may be related to the arts, society, politics, science, or technology. You decide on the instruments, collect, and examine the data, then present your results to a larger group of people.

I recommend doing this capstone project because it is an excellent opportunity to develop relationships with faculty members who work in your area of interest and make connections with other students working on research. You will build a strong working relationship with a faculty mentor and be able to ask for a letter of recommendation. It is an opportunity to discover new knowledge and expand on what you already know. In my opinion, the most important aspect of completing a capstone is having the opportunity to hone your leadership and teamwork skills as you collaborate with others.

Factors Contributing to MM in the United States

 Kayla Curcio, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Nursing

 

From the moment I stepped foot in the College of Staten Island as a freshman Verrazzano honors student, I always had in the back of my mind the fear of the capstone project which caused me to procrastinate. I could not understand how this would help me as a nursing student in the future, or why I needed to do this capstone to receive honors. I was so stressed with all my schoolwork that I did not want to add something else to my plate, especially since it seemed like so much work. But when time started running out and I had no other choice but to start thinking about topics, I began to realize that this was not that bad and it could actually benefit me.

The research that I did for my literature review paper allowed me to learn so much, not even just about my topic which was about high rates of maternal deaths, but also to learn many valuable lessons about issues within the entire healthcare system. Not only was this a learning experience because of all the research that I did, but my mentor, Dr. Arlene Farren, who was assisting me with my work for this capstone taught me so much, including how to write a good well-developed paper. Now I am thinking about the potential of publishing this paper to share with others everything I learned so that I could contribute to a positive change for the nursing profession.

The experience of working so closely with a professor seemed a little nerve-wracking to me because I am kind of on the shy side and it is something that was out of my comfort zone. By doing this research and working with then I not only gained a mentor, but I also gained a friend who I can go to for advice, someone I know who I can ask questions and know I will get an honest response from a person that has my best interest at heart. So, thinking back I really could have saved myself so much stress if I would have just started this capstone early on.

The takeaway that I have from working on this capstone is that even if something seems scary you should overcome your fears and step out of your comfort zone. It is an opportunity where you can learn and it can help you reach your full potential. The capstone at times became tedious and I felt very stressed out trying to balance it with work and school, but it was worthwhile, and I am glad that I persevered and was able to complete my project. Not only did this help me learn more, and work alongside a wonderful mentor who helped me a lot with the capstone and much more, but also through this experience I have become in my opinion better as an individual.

I am honestly so proud of what I accomplished, I have become a better writer, I have become more confident, and best of all I have become a little more comfortable in presenting in front of a large group of individuals. It is not as bad as it seems.