Mercedes Machado receives AMCD research grant

Mercedes Machado is the recipient of the 2018 Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development (AMCD) research grant. She plans to use the grant to pursue a research project at Girls Place, Inc in the fall. Girls Place is non-profit organization located in Gainesville, FL, serving girls between the ages of 5-15 through athletic programming, tutoring, counseling and empowering after-school activities. Mercedes will work with Dr. Jacqueline Swank (counselor education faculty member) to conduct the study, which involves facilitating a 6-week intervention with the 5th grade girls at Girls Place focusing on areas such as self-esteem and pro-social behaviors that promote identity development and personal growth. In addition, this study will focus on enhancing empathy in the girls by encouraging them to clarify their own sense of self as they also begin to understand the perspectives and lived experiences of their peers. Mercedes is very thankful to have received this grant as this study would not be possible without AMCD’s support.