Professor’s Extra Work Puts BVU Student on Path Toward Discovery, Service
BVU research effort directed by Wythe Laureate ignites a passion for graduate in the field of mental health.
Tena Strum dropped out of high school at age 15. In January, at age 31, she started graduate school at the applied cognition and neuroscience program at the University of North Texas at Dallas.
She aims to one day gain admission to medical school to research and work in suicide prevention, a tragedy that struck her family more than one decade ago when a sibling, Bryan Paul Strum, committed suicide.
Strum candidly says it took piecing her life together to continue on a path toward healing, discovery, and service. Buena Vista University played a role, as the 2020 graduate studied human services, psychology, and trauma advocacy.
“I had a great BVU undergraduate experience as I was a mom and working both a full-time and a part-time job while going to school,” says Strum, who took classes online while residing and working in Newton.
Strum sought a creative path in achieving a research experience, something she believed she’d need in applying for graduate programs. Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis, Dean of BVU’s School of Liberal Arts, connected Strum with Dr. Wesley Beckwith, Assistant Professor of Psychology and BVU’s 2021 Wythe Award Laureate, the University’s highest award recognizing excellence in teaching.
“I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to work with [Tena] and be a small part of her success story. In many respects, all I did was open the door, and she took the challenge head on.”
Dr. Wesley Beckwith, Assistant Professor of Psychology
“I was an online student struggling to find the right research experience,” Strum recalls. “Dr. Beckwith devised an independent study research program where he could assign me tasks to complete. We’d then meet over Zoom to discuss my research progress during lunch breaks and anytime that fit among his classes and my work commitments.”
The pair spent almost two years coding and gathering data on a gambling task in their quest to measure avoidance learning patterns in post-traumatic stress disorder across generations. Their goal was to measure these learning patterns in individuals with PTSD, their family members, extended family members, and their friends.
“In even pursuing the research project, she went above and beyond,” Beckwith says. “I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to work with her and be a small part of her success story. In many respects, all I did was open the door, and she took the challenge head on.”
That research stoked a passion in Strum as she gained knowledge on mental health issues. She earned a position with Eyerly Ball Community Mental Health Services in Des Moines. Sensing she needed additional family support to help her care for her children, Aaliyah-Marie Barrett and Zayden Barrett, Strum moved to Texas in July. She began serving an Assertive Community Treatment team, working to acclimate patients in a mental health hospital back to life outside in-patient treatment.
“I’m a first-generation college graduate,” Strum says. “I’m from a poor background. There were addiction issues, mental health issues, poverty, and trauma in my background. Coming to Iowa and going through college helped me get my life together, thanks to the support of professors and staff members throughout my college experience, people who believed in me and helped me see my potential for the first time.
“I now want to help others,” she adds. “My end goal is to create better evidence-based suicide prevention practices."
Strum remains indebted to BVU for the role its curricula, faculty, and staff played in her trek, especially for the ways in which Beckwith went the extra mile to give her a first-hand glimpse into research.
“Dr. Beckwith took time out of his schedule to put me on a path I never thought I’d find,” she says. “He took a chance on me when no one else would work with me for any type of research experience. I’m starting graduate school with thoughts about medical school. I’ve enjoyed a complete turnaround, and I’m forever grateful.”