Sophia Coco is an honors political science major and journalism and legal studies minor from St. Louis, MO. This month, she presented on a co-authored paper examining the various factors impacting the 2024 Republican presidential primary nomination at the Midwest Political Science Association.
Sophia Coco at MPSA
My research delved into the topic of presidential nomination forecasting, specifically the Republican nomination of the 2024 election. My research aimed to determine which factors influence elections the most, and examined factors such as campaign expenditures, cash reserves, poll results, endorsements, Iowa caucus results and New Hampshire primary results. Presidential elections are central to American politics and understanding what components are influential on elections is useful to voters for making informed decisions. Political scientists have worked for years to understand the workings of presidential elections and nominations and I am proud to contribute to the extensive research on the subject.
I recently traveled to Chicago, Illinois, for the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference where I presented on a co-authored paper of my findings on a panel about presidential nominations. The trip helped me move forward in my research because it provided the opportunity for discussion and feedback from other academics. After my presentation, the audience gave their feedback which was very helpful for growth in my research. I also received many compliments on my presentation, as I was the only undergraduate student that presented on our panel. This really helped with my confidence going into my thesis defense a few weeks later!
Sophia with advisor and co-author professor Karen Sebold
AT MPSA, I also had the opportunity to hear presentations from other researchers at the conference, inspiring future ideas and research. It helped me to hear from them in their research and perspective on certain topics. It also provided me with the contacts necessary if I want to pursue further research. Everyone that I met was kind, supportive and encouraging! Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet my co-authors as well, who come from various universities. It was exciting to meet them face-to-face after working with them primarily online the past few months.
My biggest fear going into my presentation was the pressure of being the youngest and least experienced person in the room. However, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and finding my voice with confidence resulted in major academic and professional growth for myself. I learned that I can do anything I work hard enough for and put my mind to. Although I was the youngest and least experienced person, I received positive feedback from the other authors on the panel and knew that my age and experience level did not define the quality of my work. I was very confident and proud of my presentation which showed through my delivery at the conference. My biggest takeaway from this experience is that you cannot let your mental limitations and fears define you. Work hard, and let your work speak for itself.
My advice for other students would be to get out of your comfort zone! When my thesis advisor told me months ago that she wanted me to present at the MPSA conference, I was very nervous. I did not feel like I was qualified to present at such a high level. I proved myself wrong and I am very grateful to her for asking me to do the presentation. My other piece of advice would be to use your resources. At the MPSA conference, I was surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and research. Going in with an open mind and readiness to learn is very important to get the most out of the experience.
I am so grateful and appreciative of the honors college for this experience. It has been the perfect way to finish my undergraduate degree in political science, culminating all the skills and knowledge I have obtained in the past four years at Arkansas.