MCC nursing students team up with Brown University for teen health study
Three Meridian Community College nursing students got a rare opportunity to work alongside researchers from Brown University during a one-day adolescent health study held on MCC’s campus.
The trio took part in the Mississippi and Alabama Adolescent Environmental Health Study: Greater Meridian, assisting in field work that included gathering blood samples, height, weight and blood pressure measurements, spirometry readings, and nail clippings. The research is being led by Dr. Erica Walker, a Mississippi native and founder of the Community Noise Lab at Brown University.
For MCC’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students, Kaylee Pogue, Matelyn Herrington, and Brinley Dearman, the partnership offered more than hands-on experience — it was a chance to be part of a major university research project while still early in their nursing careers.
“I saw no reason not to do this study. Community, health studies, and clinical skills are all a part of my career path,” said Pogue, a 21-year-old second-semester nursing student from Enterprise. “Gathering information about how our community is affected by our environment is nothing but beneficial, and I wanted to be a part of that.”
The study focuses on youth ages 12 to 17 and looks at how environmental factors affect adolescent health. Participants who qualified completed a series of health screenings and were compensated for their time. Over the next five years, researchers from Brown will continue to monitor their health and environmental exposure with support from MCC.
Before the study, MCC students helped recruit participants through flyers, social media, and word-of-mouth. They also trained on equipment and protocols, observed a similar study in Mendenhall, and worked closely with their ADN Instructor Kristy Dickerson to prepare.
Also assisting with the project is Dr. Angie Carraway, MCC chemistry instructor and Science and Wellness division chair.
“We had to recruit participants, which also meant explaining every detail of the study and why we are doing it to those participants and their families. I had to do my own research into the project to put myself in their shoes to be able to better explain why this study is so important and why this is such a great thing to be a part of,” said Herrington, a 22-year-old nursing student who also lives in Enterprise.
Herrington was inspired to become a nurse after undergoing open-heart surgery as a child, and the project deepened her passion for pediatric and critical care. “My nurses were like heroes that I didn’t even know existed. I will never forget the impact they made on me, and I pray I do the same for every patient I care for.”
Dearman, 19, from Quitman, who said she’s always had a passion for helping others, was eager to participate. “I knew this study would be a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience and learn more about my community,” she said.
For more information about MCC nursing programs, visit our Division of Nursing.