Winning a fellowship award from the Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) led to the \u201cdefining moment of my undergraduate career,\u201d says Alexandra Peary, a senior nursing student at the University of Maine.<\/p>\n
Peary, a Cumberland, Maine native, is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. She decided to use her fellowship to research how physical activity strategies changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in schools. She specifically focused on schools enrolled in \u201cLet\u2019s Go!\u201d a nationally recognized obesity prevention program created by Maine Health.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to look at the school-aged child population because intervening in poor lifestyle habits long before adulthood can ensure children will enter adulthood with strong, healthy habits,\u201d says Peary.<\/p>\n
She conducted a secondary analysis of the \u201cLet\u2019s Go!\u201d team\u2019s survey data to examine physical activity strategies during the pandemic and the benefits and barriers of implementation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith COVID-19 pandemic restrictions preventing many traditional forms of exercise for children, such as recess and playing with friends, I thought it would be even more important to assess what physical activity implementation strategies were being put forth in Maine, to maintain the health and wellbeing of our students,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Peary\u2019s CUGR fellowship funded a trip to Washington D.C. to present her research at the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing\u2019s \u201cCreating Healthy Work Environments\u201d conference. Her honors thesis advisor, Dr. Kelley Strout, nominated her to present.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was able to discuss my own research, listen to other research being done in both the academic and clinical nursing setting, receive career counseling, and talk to many nurses about their own experiences,\u201d Peary says. \u201cI am so grateful to the Center for Undergraduate Research and Dr. Kelley Strout for making it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating, Peary plans to pursue a Ph.D. in nursing.<\/p>\n