Elon student wins scholarships to share research at professional conferences

Elon University Senior Ashley Edwards, the student ambassador for the Office of the Registrar, has been awarded the first ever Southern Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Student Pre-Professional Scholarship.

The $1,200 scholarship was established to assist undergraduate students in attending the annual conference. At the conference, Edwards presented and assisted on three different research presentations, presenting two poster sessions (“Exploring the Challenges of Academic Advising for Student Veterans” and “Should Institutions Expand the Academic Record?: The Elon Experiences Transcript”) and co-presenting a presentation titled “Catching Fire: Resourcing student assistants to write and publish within the Registrar’s Office.”

Edwards was also invited to present her research in Denver in October during the Students In Transition National Conference.

“Traumatic Brain Injury and the College Transition: Challenges from a Student Services Perspective” uses the personal narratives of five undergraduate students with traumatic brain injuries to provide feedback and suggestions for student and disabilities’ services to better serve this underrepresented population and their academic needs.

The paper is currently up for review for publication in College and University, a national journal.

Edwards has also been invited to present four separate poster sessions as the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) at its April national conference in Baltimore. As the recipient of the Connor Scholarship for the second year in a row, the $500 award will again allow her to attend and experience the conference.

Having chosen a career in the higher education administration field, the conferences and the accompanying experiences have proven to be invaluable for Edwards.