After a full day working at a daycare, Kyah Lockhart’s summer evenings often brought a different kind of learning. 

The Bachelor of Science in psychology student spent the summer laying the groundwork for an honours research project, balancing a full-time job with study design, research ethics, and reading for a thesis proposal. 

The planned study will explore the impact of different levels of cannabis usage on attention, memory, and academic success. Lockhart hopes the findings will help students make more informed choices while contributing new information to existing research. 

Originally from Borden-Carleton, PEI, Lockhart pursued the work through an Independent Summer Research Grant (ISRG), funded by NSERC, creating space to get a head start on the research process before the academic year began. 

That meant designing a study from the ground up, considering potential outcomes, and preparing and submitting a Research Ethics Board application. Lockhart also began exploring the existing literature that will help inform the thesis. 

Progress came through steady work in the evenings, supported by meetings with her faculty supervisor, Dr. Mitchell LaPointe, every two weeks to discuss questions, review tasks, and plan next steps. 

“Working on my project — especially while working a full-time job — I have improved my time management and stress tolerance skills,” says Lockhart. 

The summer’s focus was on preparation, with the goal of having a clear plan in place to begin conducting the research during the academic year. Getting an early start also meant creating more time to devote to the later stages of the honours project. 

Along the way, the experience offered a closer look at the opportunities and support available to undergraduate researchers at Mount Allison. 

“This experience has shown me how much there is to offer in doing research and how supportive Mount Allison is towards their student body,” says Lockhart. 

For Lockhart, the summer was an opportunity to begin building both the research experience needed for further study and the practical skills to manage a demanding project — one evening at a time. 

She plans to pursue a doctorate in psychology and ultimately work as a psychologist.