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CMU graduate students awarded $27,000 research scholarships
CMU graduate students Annamaria Babuskova (left) and Jason Cegayle (right) have each received a $27,000 Canada Graduate Research Scholarship to support their research into survivor-centred recovery and youth responses to climate change.
Two graduate students at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) have received Canada Graduate Research Scholarships to support research exploring how communities can respond to climate change and how survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation can rebuild their lives.
Jason Cegayle and Annamaria Babuskova are pursuing Master of Arts degrees in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development (MAPCD) at CMU. Although their research addresses different social issues, both students emphasize the importance of listening to and working with communities.
The scholarships, valued at $27,000 each for one year, will allow Cegayle and Babuskova to concentrate more fully on their studies and research.
Cegayle says the scholarship "gives me the encouragement to engage my research with the community and to invest further reflection and strategies on engaging young people with various social issues today."
His research, titled "Hope in Action: An Exploration of the Role of Faith on Climate Anxiety Responses and Civic Engagement for Gen Z Youth," examines how faith can encourage young people to respond to climate change.
"Young people today face many challenges in shaping their future due to the uncertainty and instability that climate change brings," Cegayle says.
He hopes his research will identify ways faith communities can support young people as they navigate climate anxiety and engage in social change.
Cegayle says that while some young people feel empowered to act on climate change, others remain indifferent or pessimistic. His research explores how faith-based reflection and dialogue may shape young people's perspectives and encourage civic engagement.
Using the three-step see-judge-act model, a framework for examining social realities and responding with moral and ethical purpose, Cegayle will engage Catholic Generation Z participants in dialogue and reflection.
His approach draws on liberation theology and church base communities, which have played a significant role in Latin America by emphasizing the experiences of marginalized communities and encouraging collective action for social change.
"Young people are key stakeholders and agents for social change and transformation if institutions position them as vital collaborators and contributors," he says.
Babuskova's research, titled "The Stories My Hands Hold: Survivor Narratives, Participatory Photography, and Community Reintegration After Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation," explores recovery through the perspectives of survivors.
While considerable research has examined the trauma associated with sexual violence, Babuskova is interested in understanding what meaningful recovery looks like beyond the immediate effects of trauma.
"I am interested in understanding recovery as a holistic process that encompasses safety, spirituality, identity, relationships, and belonging as pathways to reclaiming agency and purpose," she says.
Her research will also examine how support services and systems can facilitate recovery or unintentionally create barriers.
Ultimately, Babuskova hopes to contribute to a better understanding of meaningful, long-term recovery as defined by survivors themselves.
Throughout her studies at CMU, Babuskova has become interested in how spaces affect survivors' ability to participate meaningfully in decisions about their lives. She sees her research as an opportunity to contribute to a more collaborative, survivor-centred approach.
"For me, the value of this scholarship also extends beyond completing my degree. I hope to translate my research into a visual photographic display with practical recommendations that support long-term recovery and reflect survivor-defined priorities."
Babuskova says one of the most meaningful aspects of her time at CMU has been developing her thesis proposal. With guidance from her research advisor, she has learned how to shape a topic of personal interest into ethical, academically rigorous research.
"Meaningful change begins with listening, asking thoughtful questions and creating space for people to share and celebrate their own journeys toward healing and recovery," Babuskova says.
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