Jaylyn Jewel

Jaylyn Jewell, from Rochester, New Hampshire, is a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) working toward a bachelor of science degree in nursing. Jaylyn is part of the University Honors Program and serves as an ambassador for both the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research and the Student Nursing Organization. Before engaging in her own undergraduate research, Jaylyn pictured research only as lab work. However, after learning of the REAP program from one of her honors professors, she learned of all the different research opportunities in the social sciences and healthcare fields, which included being able to do research from home given the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. After looking for a mentor, Jaylyn met Dr. Kristen Clark. Inspired by Dr. Clark’s hard work and research surrounding the rights of marginalized groups, she could not pass up the opportunity to work with her through a REAP grant. Jaylyn feels that working on this project opened her eyes to the injustices that sexual and gender minority groups face in inpatient settings, and how these injustices and stigma can result in many adverse outcomes. In the future Jaylyn hopes to go to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner, and with this in mind she believes exploring and being aware of disparities in healthcare is extremely important. It is also because of the importance of the research that Jaylyn decided to submit her work to Inquiry. To Jaylyn, submitting to Inquiry was a way to reach out to the student body of UNH and spread awareness about the disparities in the healthcare system, while also serving as an ally and advocate of equitable healthcare for all.