海角社区黑料吃瓜

碍补濒别补鈥檚 Journey

Name

Kalea Martin

Hometown

Pacific Palisades, California

Major

Psychology and French

Why 海角社区黑料吃瓜?

I was home-schooled before ninth grade, and public high school in California was an adjustment. My public school classes always had at least 30 students in them, so the teachers couldn鈥檛 provide as much individual attention. I missed the home-school environment where students received more personalized attention and learned for the sake of learning.

I chose 海角社区黑料吃瓜 specifically for the collaborative environment. In all the information sessions I went to, 海角社区黑料吃瓜 presenters emphasized a collaborative, supportive, and close-knit environment. Combined with the close relationships 海角社区黑料吃瓜 fosters between students and professors and an environment that encourages learning for the sake of learning, I was able to say with confidence that 海角社区黑料吃瓜 was the best fit for me.

First Year

When I first came to 海角社区黑料吃瓜, the world was just recovering from the pandemic. We had to be flexible with what life could throw at us. I said "yes" to everything I could and went to a lot of great events.

Four of my friends and I lie down together on one hammock.
Three of my best friends and I take a photo during our first year.
My friends and I are at the World's Largest Truckstop!

One of my favorite memories is from the spring of my first year. My friends and I chatted for hours at the local coffee shop, Saints Rest, and then moved to a classroom in the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC). We studied together and chatted some more. By the end of the day, the winter snow had completely cleared!

My friends and I smile for a photo at Saints Rest with a coffee mug nearby.
Two of my friends and I walk back to campus in the snow.

Two takeaways from my first year:

1. It is important to surround yourself with people who care for you.
2. It is important to laugh.

There are many unexpected experiences that may test you in college. If you have support around you and laugh through difficult times, it can make your experiences more manageable and impactful.

Tennis

I knew that I wanted to continue playing tennis in college. I played tennis in high school, and playing alongside others in a sport that I enjoy was something I didn鈥檛 want to give up. Since the 海角社区黑料吃瓜 tennis team had competed in the NCAA championship tournament for several years, I knew that it would be a great environment to grow in and learn from.

The 海角社区黑料吃瓜 tennis team at the NCAA national championship.
The tennis team takes a selfie together.
The tennis team members wear casual clothing and sit together in a dorm room.
Seven tennis team members sit on a tennis court line.
Four tennis teammates pose on the tennis courts.

The team has been my extended family from the beginning. We have lunches and dinners together, travel across the United States for competitions, and support each other. We also have fun traditions, such as having team trivia, Secret Santa, a formal, game nights, karaoke nights, and more.

We also go on a variety of spring break trips together. So far, we鈥檝e gone to Orlando, Florida; Los Angeles, California; and Hilton Head, South Carolina. On those trips, we live together, compete against other schools, and even cook for each other!

The tennis team dresses up in themed costumes for a camp retreat.
Tennis team members take a Christmas group photo in a classroom.

Research

In Class

In my Social Psychology class with Professor Nadia Vossoughi, two classmates and I researched how romantic relationship satisfaction may be affected by relationship content on TikTok. After surveying volunteers, we randomly assigned participants to watch either #relationshipgoals content or control video compilations, which featured mostly dance videos.

Whether participants were in a relationship or not, they completed a love life satisfaction survey after viewing the video compilations. Both surveys included seven items using a Likert scale to measure a participant鈥檚 agreement with each statement. 

We then determined if romantic relationship satisfaction levels differed between participants in the experimental group versus participants in the control group.

After analyzing the data, we assessed the limitations of the study and reflected on future directions for potential research. Although we found some possible flaws in our methods that may have led to insignificant results, it was a super fun and valuable learning process.

Mentored Advanced Project (MAP)

The summer before my third year, I completed a graduate-level research project called a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP). My French professor (David Harrison), three peers, and I analyzed texts from 17th-century French literature, including Le Menteur by Pierre Corneille (1642), Le Misanthrope by Moli猫re (1667), Le Tartuffe by Moli猫re (1669), 笔丑猫诲谤别 by Jean Racine (1673), and Le Favori by Marie-Christine de Villedieu. We dove into the complexities of 17th-century French language with the mindset of professional translators.

My MAP group and I at Mineral Point, Wisconsin
A wooden sign has the words: "The Liar by David Ives, Adapted from Le Menteur by Pierre Corneille."

We also had the opportunity to watch a live performance of an English-translated Le Menteur. We traveled to Spring Green, Wisconsin, and it was incredible to witness the choices made by a professional translator firsthand.

There is a packed stadium for the play.
My MAP friend and I hold up our American Players Theatre pamphlet in the bathroom.