PRIMO Alumni Profile Details

“It’s honestly a privilege to learn from my peers in PRIMO”

About

Heavenlei Thomas grew up in Houston, Texas. She had not been to the East coast until moving to start the PRIMO program. A rising college senior and first-generation student studying psychology and business at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, she found it especially welcoming that PRIMO was open to people from all backgrounds, including non-Harvard students.

“I’ve never been part of a group with so many different majors as PRIMO. When people have different backgrounds from English to engineering, it makes the group so diverse. I find that fascinating. Even in casual conversation, they might tell me something that I did not know before, and now I have this knowledge. It’s honestly a privilege to learn from my peers.”

Interested in Industrial Organizational Psychology which, in short, means the psychology of work, Heavenlei is interested in improving workplace conditions for underrepresented populations.

She worked with Professor Ashley Whillans in the Negotiation, Organizations, and Markets Unit in Summer 2023.

When you applied to PRIMO and got selected, how did you feel?

I felt very proud of myself. I didn’t think I would get in. Because it’s Harvard, I was just throwing my name in a hat. I don’t think I ever pushed myself as much as I did to apply to the program. I knew I could do it, but I didn’t know if I would be selected. It’s a very special opportunity.

Also, I would say the amount of love and support that I have from my family is overwhelming. The amount of people rooting for me. They were happier for me than I was when I got in. They're still happier for me. And so just the amount of overwhelming support is what drives me. It's the only reason why I said yes to coming here. The people rooting for me.

What kind of research did you and your professor work on?

We’re looking at cognitive interventions to help low wage workers reframe mundane or unimportant tasks to help them see the work that they do in a positive light. So, the intervention we propose is essentially called superordinate framing. It basically prompts workers to think about how their tasks build on other tasks to achieve this broader purpose or sense of achievement in the work that they’re doing, even though they can’t see the immediate benefits of that work.

What has the research collaboration been like?

HBS is very team oriented. There are a lot of people doing a lot of things to get these research projects off the ground, which I really appreciate. My professor and I also have weekly Zoom meetings where we can talk, I can tell her about what I’ve been struggling with, and what I don’t understand. That’s been helpful as well. She’s also helped me with writing personal statements as I’m in the season of applying to graduate school. And, even if my professor isn’t available, I can email multiple doctoral students and they’ll get back to me. I think it’s amazing.

Is there something that you’ve reflected on that has been meaningful this summer?

Outside of the classroom, I’ve made a lot of good friends. I feel like PRIMO is one of the closest research groups here at the university. There are a couple of groups that are affiliated with the Research Village. PRIMO is one of the closest groups because we don’t have many people and most of us come from different schools, so we have no choice but to lean on one another. I thought it’d be scary meeting new people, but no, it’s been good. And then you meet people, and they move across the country, you have connections in all these different places.

Is there anything that surprised you during your time in PRIMO?

I guess what surprised me is how much the people here are willing to get to know you. I've cold called emailed a couple professors and graduate students here and they've just been happy to meet with me and indulge me in all my silly questions; but they answer them with insight.

Any advice for those who might be thinking about applying to PRIMO?

I would say be authentic. Tell your story. In your personal statement, research is fine and all, but if you have no passion behind what you want to explore, I don’t think you would want to do this. You have to love what you do.

Any advice for incoming PRIMO students?

Say yes to everything. To every opportunity, within your means, of course. Say yes. I have a habit of saying no. I've broken that habit and I'm actually glad that I have.