Students study ‘How Employment Affects GPA in Undergraduate Students,’ ‘The Romantic Attachment Style of College-Aged Young Adults and Music Preferences.’
FRANKFORT, KY. (04/13/2025) Lindsey Wilson College students Ashley Turner ’26 of Lexington, Kentucky, and Alondra Fuentes Nava ’25 of Columbia had both heard that a college student’s grade point average can be affected by working too much, but they were curious to see if that claim could be supported through research.
So along with Dakota Boaz ’25 of Leitchfield, Kentucky, they set out to see if the two subjects were connected. Their research did not uncover a correlation between the two topics, but, as Turner pointed out, “that could be because we only surveyed psychology students.”
Turner and Nava were among 100 undergraduate and graduate psychology students from 15 Kentucky colleges and universities who presented their research findings on Saturday, April 12, at the Kentucky Psychological Foundation’s Kentucky Psychology Student Conference, held at Kentucky State University.
The three Lindsey Wilson students’ work, “How Employment Affects GPA in Undergraduate Students,” was one of two research projects presented by Lindsey Wilson students.
The other research project presented was “The Romantic Attachment Style of College-Aged Young Adults and Music Preferences,” which was investigated by Trista Duncan ’25 of Louisville, Kentucky, Alex Stephens ’25 of Columbia.
“We didn’t have enough data to show there was a statistical connection,” said Duncan. “But we learned that people have a wide range of musical preferences.”
Duncan said she also learned that “college students are very frustrating and they don’t follow directions.”
“That limits what you can do with your research,” she said.
‘Our students are doing some really good work’
Discovering the frustrations of conducting research is as much a part of the learning process as the research findings, according to Lindsey Wilson psychology professor Jordan Greenburg, who attended the conference with Lindsey Wilson Psychology Program Coordinator William Neace.
“Our students are doing some really good work, and that was an excellent place for them to share it with others,” said Greenburg.
Neace said that he was impressed with the Lindsey Wilson students’ research.
“I am thrilled to be able to sponsor student research and work with dedicated faculty like Dr. Jordan Greenburg,” said Neace. “Trista, Ashley and Alondra had unique learning experiences that went well beyond the classroom, and they learned much about graduate school and next steps in their profession as future psychologists.”
Greenburg said the conference was also a great networking opportunity for Lindsey Wilson students to learn about professional and career opportunities related to psychology as well as possible graduate schools to attend.
“This is a perfect place for our students to make personal and professional connections with other faculty and students in the psychology field outside of the confines of Lindsey Wilson College,” she said. “It’s excellent professional development for our students.”
Duncan, who will start work on a master’s degree in education for school psychology next fall at the University of Louisville, met her graduate school adviser.
“I’m really excited about getting started and beginning the next step in my career,” she said.
Members of the Lindsey Wilson College psychology program attended the Kentucky Psychological Foundation’s Kentucky Psychology Student Conference, held April 12 in Frankfort. From left: Psychology Program Coordinator William Neace; Trista Duncan ’25 of Louisville, Kentucky; Ashley Turner ’26 of Lexington, Kentucky; Alondra Fuentes Nava ’25 of Columbia; and psychology professor Jordan Greenburg.
Lindsey Wilson College students Alondra Fuentes Nava ’25 of Columbia, left, and Ashley Turner ’26 of Lexington, Kentucky, presented their research, “How Employment Affects GPA in Undergraduate Students,” at the Kentucky Psychological Foundation’s Kentucky Psychology Student Conference, held April 12 in Frankfort. They worked on the project with Dakota Boaz ’25 of Leitchfield, Kentucky (not pictured).
Lindsey Wilson College student Trista Duncan ’25 of Louisville, Kentucky, presented her research “The Romantic Attachment Style of College-Aged Young Adults and Music Preferences,” at the Kentucky Psychological Foundation’s Kentucky Psychology Student Conference, held April 12 in Frankfort. She worked on the project with Alex Stephens ’25 of Columbia (not pictured).
Lindsey Wilson College is a vibrant liberal arts college in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students, and the college offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The college’s 28 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson College)