Despite extensive academic research and media coverage on refugees and undocumented migrants in Spain, these narratives often remain disconnected. This gap raises concerns about whether research fully captures the lived realities of displaced individuals. This qualitative study examines whether existing literature aligns with the experiences of refugees in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and how these experiences compare to those of migrants elsewhere in the European Union. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a refugee center director, a volunteer Spanish teacher, a refugee, and an undocumented migrant. Findings indicate that while academic research generally reflects key aspects of the refugee experience, it often underrepresents a critical issue: the inability to access legal employment despite a strong desire to work. This challenge has profound impacts on autonomy, dignity, and integration but receives less attention than factors like housing or institutional conditions. Additionally, perceptions of Spain as a welcoming country vary significantly depending on individual backgrounds and circumstances. This research highlights the necessity of integrating firsthand narratives into academic and policy discussions to bridge existing knowledge gaps and better inform supportive interventions for refugee communities.

While scholars have applied deontological and communist economic theories to examine the treatment of sweatshop workers under Multinational Enterprises, the ethical dimensions of migrant farmworker treatment and living conditions have received insufficient attention. Despite the essential labor provided by migrant farmworkers—whose livelihoods depend directly on their place of employment—there remained a critical gap in recognizing their experiences within ethical frameworks. Through a comprehensive literature review that revealed this scholarly gap, combined with content analysis and semi-structured interviews, this study examined the lived experiences of migrant farmworkers to address the absence of qualitative ethical frameworks examining consent violations. I argue that when ethical conditions are tested under Onora O'Neill's framework for consent, the mere observation of consent does not prove that agreements are fair or ethical. The prevalence of loophole contracts—often deliberately obscured—demonstrates the inadequacy of consent-based frameworks alone. This analysis reveals the need for regulatory approaches that do not rely on self-verification of contracts. Furthermore, I contend that the legal permission of underage agricultural work remains ethically problematic under Kantian principles: while children possess the extended personhood that grants them equal respect as moral agents, their incomplete rational development renders them incapable of making truly consensual agreements. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how consent violations manifest in agricultural labor practices and challenge existing assumptions about the sufficiency of consent-based ethical frameworks.

Central Americans face political instability, violence, and economic disparities–largely rooted in U.S. interventions carried out between 1960s and 1990s–forcing many to flee their countries and face further challenges throughout their migration journey. While existing research has examined the mental health outcomes of Latines, such as PTSD and depression, studies focusing on Central Americans remain limited. We especially know little about positive coping mechanisms they have developed to navigate hardships before, during, and after migration. Through an asset-based approach, this research explores how Central American migrant adults perceive and cope with experiences of violence and trauma, particularly the sources of resilience they rely on at each stage of migration (pre-migration, migration, post-migration). Using a qualitative Testimonio approach informed by Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, I will interview 6 Central American participants to document their life stories and perspectives, along with 3 mental health providers to further examine their Central American clients’ sources of resilience and coping. I aim to showcase how Central Americans build resilience in the face of adversity throughout their migration journey and the factors that shape it, challenging existing frameworks that tend to overlook their ways of coping. Because they are too often lumped under the “Latine” category, this project centers Central Americans' unique migration trajectories, coping strategies, and advocates for the well-needed culturally sensitive, trauma-informed interventions.

One of the greatest challenges in personal development is establishing a coherent sense of self, which is resilient to challenges that often disrupt one’s identity as currently described by the Imposter Syndrome. The Imposter Syndrome is not a DSM-V diagnosis, but it is common across today’s students and in need of additional research and interventions. In prior studies within our laboratory, we have found that higher levels of GRIT were associated with lower levels of math anxiety and higher levels of self-regulation in online learners. Furthermore, higher levels of mental toughness in Division I athletes was observed. In the present study, we seek to examine if those scoring higher in GRIT would report fewer behaviors representative of Imposter Syndrome. In the present study, participants completed the Imposter Scale, the GRIT scale, and the Functions of Identity Scale. GRIT scores will be rank-ordered into terciles (lower, middle, upper), with scores on the Imposter Scale and Functions of Identity Scale. Multivariate analyses will be employed to evaluate survey data as a function of the GRIT terciles. While data collection remains on-going, initial analyses demonstrate that participants with higher levels of GRIT report fewer Imposter Syndrome symptoms and higher total scores on the Functions of Identity Scale. Thus, highlighting the importance of cultivating mental resilience to lessen Imposter Syndrome symptoms, enhance individual performance, and increase satisfaction of life.