Freeport grad is recognized for her research

Madeleine Graham, a Freeport resident and a member of Sacred Heart Academy’s Class of 2023, has done extensive research on the psychology of happiness in the realm of education. Conducting a comprehensive survey of 150 students and 85 educators, Graham explored how the coronavirus pandemic affected attitudes and experiences in scholastic settings. She presented her findings at several events and was recognized with a number of awards for her work.

Graham, who plans to become a teacher, found no shortage of research on how Covid-19 affected multiple professions and walks of life, but she didn’t find much data on the pandemic’s impact on education. She wanted to demonstrate that it deserved to be studied just as much as other fields.

She conducted her survey at Sacred Heart and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School in Bellmore. “I couldn’t have compiled a successful adult sample population without both schools’ consent and cooperation, so I’m very grateful,” Graham wrote in an email. “I would especially like to thank Sister Jean Amore and Ms. Leeann Graziose, the principals of each institution, for their dedication and assistance. Working on this research project was a very enjoyable experience because I loved seeing how people defined happiness in their own words, and what personal attitudes/characteristics influence that happiness.”

Graham received enthusiastic responses from both teachers and students who took part in her survey. The idea for her research topic came to her during her junior year. She explained that she is generally a positive person, and wanted to investigate why people are the way they are.

“I wanted to apply this idea to a specific field,” Graham said in an email. “I wanted to research the psychology of happiness, because I wanted a deeper understanding of what happiness really means to people, what factors influence it, and where it comes from.”

Her work earned a first-place honor in the Teen Mental Health and Well-Being category at the esteemed Long Island Youth Summit competition. The program’s director highlighted the formidable competition in this category and lauded Graham’s accomplishment.

She was also selected to present her research at the American Psychology Society conference in Washington, D.C., in May.

“Winning this prestigious award made me feel very appreciative, as I was able to share my knowledge and research with a group of people who possessed similar interests,” Graham wrote of the Long Island Youth Summit Honor. “I felt so excited to present my research to a group of like-minded researchers.”

Throughout her project, Graham received guidance from her science teacher at Sacred Heart, Stephen Sullivan, who nurtured her ideas and thought process.

“One of the best things I can say about her is that her research topic fits her very well,” Sullivan said. “She studied the psychology of happiness, and she is the most outgoing, charming, happiest kid that I have ever met in 40 years of teaching. You can’t spend more than five minutes with Madeline Graham without coming away with a smile on your face.”

Amore, the recently retired principal of Sacred Heart, also commended Graham and expressed pride in having her as a student at the school. Sacred Heart faculty and students voted to award Graham the Lead with Heart medal at graduation. “What makes Maddie so remarkable is that she’s a born leader, but she leads not only with her keen mind but also with a heart that is compassionate, courageous and committed,” Amore said.

Graham will attend Marist College, in Poughkeepsie, in the fall, where she has been accepted into a five-year accelerated program in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in both elementary and special education.

Looking ahead, Graham hopes to see the world and work with underprivileged children in underdeveloped countries. She also hopes to contribute to U.S. education policy by advocating for the importance of education and striving to improve the country’s school system.