For Andrea Cea Alvarado, receiving the Schwartz Research Summer Internship Award meant returning home to El Salvador to sit down with those whose livelihoods are being reshaped by a changing climate. For Kaitlyn Penney, receiving the internship meant unravelling why people build lifelong loyalty to their favourite NHL team. Both fourth-year StFX Schwartz School of Business students spent their summer as researchers, with funding and faculty mentorship afforded through the Schwartz Research Summer Internship Award.
The $9,250 awards provide opportunity for students from StFX's Gerald Schwartz School of Business to conduct business-related summer research work under the supervision of a faculty member.
Pictured, l-r, are Kaitlyn Penney and Andrea Cea Alvarado
"Opportunities like the Schwartz Research Summer Internship Award are extremely valuable because they give undergraduate students the support to explore research in a much deeper way than they normally could during the academic year. It gives students the chance to work closely with faculty, develop practical research skills while exploring a topic of interest," says Ms. Cea, a fourth year Bachelor of Business Administration student from El Salvador.
"In my case, the award made it possible for me to spend the summer focusing on a project that I genuinely care about and to conduct fieldwork in El Salvador. Opportunities like this can also help students discover new academic or career interests and build confidence in their ability to contribute meaningful research."
She says her research looks at how climate change is affecting people working in the informal economy in El Salvador, particularly people whose livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources and weather conditions. Through focus groups and individual interviews, she wanted to better understand how climate change is affecting their work, income, and day-to-day lives, as well as the different ways they are adapting to these challenges.
"I wanted to find a way to combine my interest in climate change, sustainability, and business with my connection to El Salvador. I also wanted my research to focus on people and communities whose experiences are not always represented in academic research. After speaking with (supervisor) Dr. Brad Long and learning about similar research he had conducted in India, I became interested in exploring these issues in the Salvadoran context."
Ms. Cea says one of the most interesting things was seeing how differently people were adapting to the effects of climate change. Some participants had shifted toward other sources of income, while those who had received support from external organizations were more likely to be using sustainable agricultural practices, such as natural fertilizers, protective planting techniques, and crops or trees better suited to changing environmental conditions.
"This made me realize how important access to training, resources, and external support can be in shaping people's ability to adapt."
UNDERSTANDING FAN LOYALTY
Kaitlyn Penney is from Antigonish, NS and is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Business Administration honours degree in marketing with a minor in sport management.
Her research examines what drives people to develop brand love for an NHL team. It investigates how factors such as performance beliefs, organizational confidence, the brand-self construal, geographical proximity, and familial influence contribute to brand love, fandom, attitudinal loyalty, and different behavioural intentions.
"Growing up in a family of hockey fans and studying marketing and sport management sparked my interest in understanding why people form lifelong connections with NHL teams. I wanted to explore the factors that create these emotional bonds and how they influence fan loyalty and engagement," says Ms. Penney, who was supervised by Dr. Bobbi Morrison.
"The most surprising thing I have discovered during my research so far was how intensive and lengthy the ethics approval process is before research can even begin. Since I have not yet started gathering data, much of my experience with the research process to this point has involved preparing and revising my study for ethics approval. Getting to learn the process of what an independent research project entails has been really interesting, and it has definitely given me a new appreciation for the process and all the work put in by researchers and academics.
"The most interesting part overall has been getting to connect with my supervisor and industry professionals within the NHL. These conversations have given me the opportunity to learn from people with firsthand experience both in the industry and in academic research."
Ms. Penney says this has allowed her to gain perspectives that she would not be able to get from academic research alone. "It has also helped me better understand how my research topic connects to the real-world sport industry and has made the research process feel much more meaningful and engaging."
She says the experience has challenged her to think more critically about her research design, consider the ethical implications of her study, and be more detail-oriented in planning.
"Opportunities like this are important for students because they allow us to gain experience beyond the classroom and apply what we have learned in a real research setting. They provide an opportunity to explore topics that we are genuinely interested in while developing skills such as critical thinking, communication, organization, and problem-solving. Experiences like this also help students build confidence and better understand what conducting research and pursuing future academic or career opportunities can look like.
