Samantha C. GH, CALS'24, Research Project: Covid 19 Vaccination Hesitancy

Samantha with mentor, Dr. Deepak.

With second mentor, Mr. Guru.

This past summer I had the pleasure of working with SVYM, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, on a research paper about COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among rural and elderly populations in Nelamangala, Bangalore. This project was spearheaded by SVYM’S Bangalore unit and my mentor Dr. Deepak Murthy. I was able to meet both Dr. Deepak and Mr. Guru, another mentor, in Bangalore and got to see the day-to-day operations. From vocational training classes centered on building your own business to a women’s small business centered on ragi products, I was impressed by the number of programs that SVYM had built with the local community to make the town prosper.

For my project, I worked with Dr. Deepak and Mr. Guru to write a research paper based on a vaccination drive performed early in the year. The vaccination drive addressed the vaccination hesitancy in the area, so I was able to analyze the trends in the corresponding survey answers that these participators took. The process for writing the paper involved literature review, where I had to find and read several papers related to my topic. Then I used this research to draft the background and significance of the research. The research also made it clear that there were gaps in knowledge about vaccination hesitancy among certain populations. After drafting, I met with my mentors for a round of revision. This process was repeated for the methods, results, discussion, and conclusion sections. For each section, it was challenging for me to get all the tiny details used in the methodology and the results because I did not really understand the statistical analysis. However, my mentor was always willing to help acknowledge any concerns or gaps that I had.

I learned so much throughout this experience, from time management to intercultural competency, I gained a valuable set of skills that help me grow into a more mature and independent individual. I improved my professional written skills while writing the paper as well as my adaptability skills. I am extremely grateful that I was able to partake in this incredible program. I hope to continue my partnership with SVYM. I encourage other students to look into the India GSL program because it was truly lifechanging.