Community-Based Research in Rural Georgia to Advocate for Young Mothers

The photo above is me when I was 18 years old standing on Currahee Mountain, which overlooks northeast Georgia. This photo was taken in 2016 when I first started researching family planning practices in the rural south. This project marked the beginning of my intellectual journey to exploring how young rural women understand their relationship with motherhood from a young age, which eventually turned into my undergraduate honors thesis. Seven years later, I continue to conduct research on this topic alongside the amazing participants in my study who gift me with the knowledge of their experiences. It is an honor and a privilege to work with these amazing communities to advocate for the resources needed for women to make the best family planning decisions for themselves and the future they desire.