This summer, 13 Orange County high school students got the chance to step into the role of social scientists, learning through Wilkinson College’s inaugural Social Science Summer Pre-College Research Experience, a three-week program designed to introduce them to the process of social science research, data analysis, and discovery.
The program brought together students from public and private high schools across Orange County. Participants ranged from rising high school sophomores to two incoming Chapman University freshmen, with most students preparing to enter their junior or senior year.
Designed around hands-on learning, the course gave students the opportunity to experience the research process rather than simply learn about it.
Over the three weeks, students were mentored by professors Dr. Ann Gordon (Political Science) and Dr. Karen Snedker (Sociology), as well as Henley Lab Research Fellows Will Basnight (’27 Political Science, Leadership minor), Ella Bartsch (’26 Political Science, Peace Studies, Honors minor), and Taylor Courtney (’27 Sociology, Spanish minor).
The group of students chose topics for their research projects from among hundreds of options using the Chapman University Survey of American Fears. For over a decade, this national survey has captured the fears of Americans from all walks of life. The students tackled topics ranging from conspiracy theories to fears about AI to war.
“The first week introduced students to the research process, learning that research begins with curiosity—and with knowing how to turn that curiosity into a question that can actually be studied,” said Dr. Gordon.
Throughout the program, the students explored how to develop meaningful social-scientific questions, conduct a research literature review, and formulate testable hypotheses.
The learning extended beyond the classroom, too. The group participated in a scavenger hunt that introduced them to the Chapman campus and explored the Fear installation exhibit, Pareidolia, a multimedia artwork by acclaimed artist, Danial Canogar, connecting their academic work to the broader campus community.
By the final week, students had transformed their questions and data into their own research projects. The experience culminated in a poster presentation and symposium, giving students the opportunity to share what they had discovered and experience another important part of the research process: communicating their findings to others.
For many, this was their first experience working directly with real research data.
The idea for the program originated with Dr. Gordon, who envisioned an innovative opportunity to introduce high school students to the social sciences, particularly political science and sociology. Drs. Gordon and Snedker collaborated to design and run the program. Dr. Snedker felt that “their joint expertise across the social sciences would strengthen the summer research experience, and collaborating would allow for more student-faculty mentorship.” Together, their hope was “to lead the students on a journey of discovery through the lens of social sciences,” said Dr. Gordon.
For the students, the experience also offered a glimpse into what studying the social sciences at the college level can look like.
That was especially meaningful for London Willhoit and Myles Agatep, two participants who will join the Chapman community this fall as incoming freshmen. Both plan to major in political science, making their participation in the program a fitting introduction to their Chapman experience.
(Photo in header: Photo by Marisa Lamas (’27 Public Relations, Advertising, and Entertainment Marketing major, CCI minor).
