With the help of his mentors, Michael Papias ’21 found a variety of opportunities that helped turn him into a social sciences researcher.
Through the Haas Scholars Program, Papias connected with Professor Jill Duerr Berrick, whose research focuses on the foster care system. She encouraged him to lean into his personal history. “The things I went through as a youth are difficult to process,” Papias says. “But Dr. Berrick helped me see that instead of ignoring my experiences, I could connect them to research with a purpose.” With the support of these two faculty mentors, Papias began a journey of self-discovery that led to a unique project that has the potential to positively impact many lives. The Discovery Initiative aims to ensure that all undergraduates have the guidance they need to develop their potential at Berkeley and beyond.
With Berrick’s guidance, Papias embarked on a qualitative study of the impact of the child welfare system on California’s Latinx youth. After a summer immersed in data analysis, he identified an “identity deficit.”
“The research showed me that Latina/x/o foster youth become disengaged from the Latina/x/o community, and are uncomfortable expressing their foster identity in their communities,” Papias explains.
“The things I went through as a youth are difficult to process, but Dr. Berrick helped me see that instead of ignoring my experiences, I could connect them to research with a purpose.” — Michael Papias ’21
With growing confidence, Papias applied for and received support from the Peter E. Haas Public Service Leaders Program, which provides scholarships to undergraduates pursuing off-campus service activities. Through this program, Papias connected with an Alameda County social services agency serving adolescents, including Latinx foster youth. Papias’s work culminated with his intervention — a zine-making project that explores questions of identity and agency, taught by Latinx artists and makers — Tú eres Tú (You are You). Now, with funding from Berkeley’s Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize (which enables recent Berkeley graduates to continue service-oriented projects after completing their degrees) Papias is expanding Tú eres Tú to additional agencies and counties, ultimately hoping to engage the nearly 31,000 Latinx foster youth in California that he identified through his research as an undergraduate.
“I want students to grow into leaders,” says Papias, reflecting on his own journey of discovery and self-acceptance. “Berkeley gave me that opportunity.”
Through building a rich mentoring culture on campus, directing more money towards grants for independent student projects, and giving students a forum for showcasing their work, the Discovery Initiative aims to ensure that all students build the connections that sustain brilliant careers rooted in advancing the public good.
