Trinity '18 French major Madeline Thornton's thesis featured in inaugural issue of Duke Visible Thinking

Duke campus

French major, Madeline Jennings Thornton, Trinity '18 was featured in the inaugural issue of Duke Visible Thinking for her thesis, Maternal and Reproductive Health Experiences of Francophone Refugee Women Living in Durham, NC: A Qualitative Case Study Analysis  The article includes a research reflection (audio) and her graduation with distinction thesis.  Her faculty mentor was Deborah S. Reisinger, Romance Studies.

"I was first introduced to the French-speaking refugee community in Durham as a student in a service-learning course taught by Professor Deb Reisinger during my sophomore year at Duke. Our class partnered with a local refugee resettlement agency to connect student groups with newly arrived refugee families. Our French language skills allowed us to uniquely serve the francophone refugee families, a relatively large group of newly arrived refugees. What started as weekly English tutoring sessions soon turned into weekend afternoon gatherings, and soon I was visiting my assigned family to read stories, share a meal and simply catch up."

"I chose to record my process reflection in the form of an audio file to highlight and mirror the process by which my participants shared their own stories during one-on-one interviews for this thesis project. I hope that any listener and reader of this thesis walks away with a deep appreciation for the importance of language and patient narratives to inform future action. In this thesis, I am honored to present the voices of each participant in an unassuming, unbiased manner, focusing instead on the rich experiences and stories told by each woman. It is only through personal interaction and storytelling that we can hope to make real connections and enact real change."