McNair Featured Scholar - Meet Brandon!

My name is Brandon Wegner, and I am a Senior Social Work major at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I grew up in Shawano, Wisconsin. As a non-traditional student, I spent several years traveling both domestically and internationally before returning to Wisconsin to complete my Social Work degree. My intention directly following my undergraduate degree is to get my Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. With that knowledge, I hope to work in mental health policy reform on a state and national level. Completing my Masters Degree in Social Work will equip me with advanced knowledge and skills to remain an active and engaged participant in furthering the betterment of the human race. The underlying goal of my research is to explore the lived experience of LGBTQIA+ students enrolled at Midwestern Universities. The objective of this research is to identify possible patterns within their family experiences and social supports in the coming out process, as well as their current experiences within their college communities. Included for consideration in these patterns is an exploration of patterns connected to the mental health challenges including strategies of coping and resilience as well as challenges in accessing needed resources to develop such strategies.