Few of us have earned the bragging rights to say we’ve had a high school research project of ours published in a distinguished, peer-reviewed journal. Valley Stream South High School senior Breanna Villarreal can. Her Capstone research project was published in the widely regarded “The Young Researcher.”
Her project, titled: “Immigrant Parents and Academic Success: Generational Status and Race on Academic Achievement,” explores the academic advantages and disadvantages of second and third-generation children of immigrants.
Under the guidance of AP teachers Jeanette Azzaretto, Katie Graves, Mike O’Brien, and Katie Kennedy, Villarreal conducted a detailed literature review, aligning her methodology with previous studies on the topic while also seeking to find a gap in previous research.
Her project surveyed 64 second and third-generation students between the ages of 14 and 18 to assess feelings of cultural identity, perceived and real academic success, and academic motivations.
Using a combination of statistical analysis and comparisons to the means of different data sets, her research confirmed widely accepted academic advantages held by second-generation students, but also found that Hispanic and Latino students may not be at as much of an academic disadvantage as previous research has indicated.
The Young Researcher is a journal that, according to its website, is “dedicated to publishing the best original research from secondary school students,” and publishes research covering a wide range of subjects.