{"id":8596,"date":"2021-03-19T08:20:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T13:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/?p=8596"},"modified":"2021-03-19T08:20:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T13:20:32","slug":"sarah-fincher-named-2021-outstanding-student-for-behavioral-and-social-sciences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/2021\/sarah-fincher-named-2021-outstanding-student-for-behavioral-and-social-sciences\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah Fincher named 2021 Outstanding Student for Behavioral and Social Sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sarah Fincher has been named the 2021 Outstanding Student for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department and accepted into the Texas Tech University Health Science Center Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sarah Fincher, who will receive her bachelor\u2019s degree in Social Work this May from Southern Arkansas University, has been named the 2021 Outstanding Student for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department and accepted into the Texas Tech University Health Science Center Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. Fincher credits her success to her experience as a Mulerider.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started out having great relationships with my professors and other faculty and staff at SAU,\u201d said the Atlanta, Texas, native. \u201cThey are the reason SAU feels like home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fincher has also been chosen to deliver a poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Convention, April 9-11, in San Antonio. Due to COVID, Fincher recorded the presentation and submitted the video for attendees to watch virtually. \u201cI feel honored the research I worked on so hard is being presented, and others will be able to benefit from it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

While a student at Atlanta High School, Fincher started looking at college options, knowing that she eventually wanted to attend graduate school for occupational therapy. \u201cI decided on social work as my undergraduate degree and started looking into programs. When I was accepted into SAU, I decided I would audition for the band as well. I was offered a band scholarship and the Leadership Incentive Award Scholarship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once she was offered a band scholarship and the Leadership Incentive Award Scholarship, she toured SAU and decided it would become her college home. \u201cI felt very welcomed by everyone, and I made my decision that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the professors who encouraged and influenced Fincher on her path, Dr. Deborah Wilson, chair of Behavioral and Social Sciences, \u201chas definitely been my cheerleader,\u201d said Fincher. \u201cShe saw the potential in me before I could even see it. She encouraged me to submit my research for a conference presentation. If not for her, I would never have done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has been able to count on Dr. Wilson for valuable guidance and assistance. \u201cI\u2019m thankful to have had her as a professor; she is most definitely someone I look up to,\u201d Fincher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor all of our students, I hope time with us is filled with many personal and academic discoveries, growth experiences, and accomplishments,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cSarah leaves SAU with a memorable Mulerider experience. I\u2019m so glad she chose SAU, and I always wish her the absolute best.\u201d<\/p>\n

SAU\u2019s faculty supported and encouraged Fincher \u201cto not only reach my goals but go above and beyond,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are some of the ones who have helped me reach this point, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fincher was accepted into four of the five graduate programs to which she applied. She hopes to use her occupational therapy degree to work in an acute in-patient rehab or a setting where she can work with the geriatric population.<\/p>\n

Her research project, \u201cAlcohol Mixed with Energy Drinks: Are College Students Consuming Them and Why\u201d was recorded and submitted to San Antonio. \u201cWhen I was notified that my research was accepted into the conference, I did not know how to react. I was both surprised and excited. I had hoped it would be selected but had no idea whether it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fincher is grateful to have been honored as the 2021 Outstanding Student for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department. \u201cI appreciate it so much,\u201d she said. \u201cI feel blessed to have learned from, and get to know, the faculty and staff in the department. They helped me get where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarah Fincher, who will receive her bachelor\u2019s degree in Social Work this May from Southern Arkansas University, has been named the 2021 Outstanding Student for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department and accepted into the Texas Tech University Health Science Center Doctor of Occupational Therapy program. Fincher credits her success to her experience as a… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":564,"featured_media":8597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[297,207,7753],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bss","8":"category-college-of-liberal-performing-arts","9":"category-homepage","10":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}