Genetic Counseling Class of 2021 alum Sierra Clark published a manuscript in the Journal of Genetic Counseling based on her capstone project completed during the program. Her fellow authors were Victoria Kennel, PhD, Sarah McBrien, PhD, Kaeli Samson, and program director Holly Zimmerman.
Sierra said, “It has been a privilege to work alongside my co-authors to complete this study. We are hopeful this will lay the groundwork for future studies of genetic counseling graduate students to come.”
Their study, “Perceived social support: A study of genetic counseling graduate students in the United States (US) and Canada,” identifies social support sources for genetic counseling graduate students. Specifically, it underscores the importance of classmates as a key source of social support while uncovering discrepancies that exist in social support sources between White and underrepresented students.
Professor Zimmerman said, “I am incredibly proud of Sierra’s work. As a program director, I am also informed by her results. Her study shows the importance of fostering a community and culture of support to promote success among all students.”