For my thesis project, I joined a pathway course in Game Design. The goal was to design an analog game based upon principles learned in class and through experimental gameplay. Tasked with designing different game types and provided different styles of games to test, I was able to explore and develop my own game idea, Covers.

Bridging social capital describes the diffusion of information across networks built between individuals of different social identities. This project aims to understand if the bridging ties of economic connectedness (EC), measured by data from Facebook friends and calculated as the average share of high socioeconomic status friends that an individual from a low socioeconomic status has, can be a predictor of variations in COVID-19 infection risk across Arizona ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Economic connectedness values across Arizona ZCTAs was examined in addition to the correlation of EC to various social and demographic factors such as age, sex, race and ethnicity, educational background, income, and health insurance coverage. A multiple linear regression model was conducted to examine the association of EC to biweekly COVID-19 growth rate from October 2020 to November 2021, and to examine the longitudinal trends in the association between these two factors. The study found that the bridging ties of economic connectedness has a significant effect size comparable to that of other demographic features, and has implications in being used to identify vulnerabilities and health disparities in communities during the pandemic.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan passed the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) to create an organ national registry and prohibit the purchase and selling of specific organs. Despite the enactment, the kidney shortage remains. This leaves 13 people on the waiting list dying prematurely every day while waiting for a kidney donation. This revision of the amendment permits the selling and purchase of kidneys in order to decrease kidney organ trafficking and help alleviate the kidney shortage. An argument on why this amendment should be considered is explained through statistics, ethics, socioeconomic, market fundamentalism, and legislative history. These sections find ample support for amending the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 to include the sale and purchase of kidneys.

Through my academic career at Arizona State University, I have learned the importance of implementing mindful habits into one’s personal and professional life. Being introduced to mindfulness has changed my life for the better. My hope for completing this thesis is to inspire other college students and future social workers to embrace the present moment, while being aware of internal thoughts and feelings as well as external stimuli. While implementing mindful habits can seem daunting and complex, one must understand that being mindful is an ongoing life-long journey. Ultimately, we owe it to ourselves and the individuals and communities we serve to engage in mindfulness, and truly be at peace with our inner-being key words: mindfulness, social work, burnout.

This thesis examines statements made about immigration and mental health in Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie follows a young Nigerian immigrant as she navigates her move to the U.S. and explores the meaning of belonging and identity in the U.S. and Nigeria. Henriquez’s The Book of Unknown Americans is about a Mexican family that immigrates to Delaware in order to secure better treatment for their daughter and touches on the nuances of the Latinx immigrant identity in the U.S. Both of these texts feature the lack of resources and support available for immigrants of color which eventually lead the characters to return to their country of origin. This thesis posits that Adichie and Henriquez are both suggesting in their respective works that the U.S. fails to ensure the success and well-being of immigrants which leads to a deterioration of mental health and feelings of not belonging. A Portrait of Neglect considers the real life implications of Adichie’s and Henriquez’s ideas and the impact of their representations of immigration and mental health.

While racial and ethnic socialization of transracial Korean international adoptees has been a growing topic in adoption literature, little research has looked at generational differences in parental racial and ethnic socialization of Korean adoptees. Using three semi-structured interviews with Korean international adoptees this paper analyzes how racial and ethnic socialization practices of white adoptive parents have changed over time. Through this analysis, we can better understand how Korean adoption policy should reflect the changing socialization practices as well as educational resources that different generations of adoptees want. Findings suggest that younger cohorts of adoptees are receiving more racial and ethnic socialization, however, interviewees still expressed the desire for greater educational resources on socialization practices for adoptive parents. Additionally, younger generations of adoptees may be less supportive of policy changes that end all Korean international adoption and have more positive feelings towards international adoption. Future research should consider the importance of tracing the historical connection between older Korean adoptees influence on policy changes like the Special Adoption Act. Overall, these interviews reveal a need for greater research on how Korean adoptees feelings towards adoption may shape policy within the adoption industry.