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My name is Jeimy Lainez. I am a junior with and majors, and I worked with the I had the chance to create a study where I went to different elementary schools and spoke to various groups about how they felt about the outdoors and how sometimes it might be something that they don’t do or never think to do, and just asked the question of why. I was able to connect with both and elementary students and staff members to help the Blue Mountain Land Trust understand a little more about some barriers and struggles that families might face in wanting to do certain family activities. 

I got to use my sociology skills and mindset to get the layout of the study and understand what the data I got meant. It was a cool experience for me because I got to see everything that I had learned in my sociology classes put to work. It was also a way for me to try and fail, and to figure out what an actual study looks like and how it doesn't necessarily happen like you want, but it still gives you the chance to use what you have and to make it into something bigger for future people to do more research on. 

This project has had a big impact and will have an impact on any future sociology study that I plan to do or take part in, because I will already have this exposure to both all the good things that could happen but also the hardships and struggles that I might encounter in doing any future research. This was also a really good chance to get exposed to the struggles of the community and also know how these struggles are relatable in other places like our own hometowns. 

I am thinking about continuing this research and doing more on it for my senior thesis since I am curious to see how things change from one year to the next and if different samples of people will have different opinions depending on age, and seeing if I can get more of a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. Overall the whole experience was super valuable to have during my time here in Walla Walla. Knowing that there are people who are trying to make changes happen gives me a lot of hope for future change.