One of the things that may have triggered my interest in research and evaluation is my participation in the Youth Development Study. Starting at age 17, as a senior in high school, I began participating in this annual survey of education, work experiences, civic activity, general well-being, and family life. This study continues to this day, and has resulted in four books, 77 academic papers, and numerous dissertations. From the time I first began participating in the study, I was interested in how the questions were worded, why I was selected, and why they wanted to know three people who may be able to find me as I moved. I was also curious about the incentive - starting at $10 in the first years and gradually increasing (I believe I get $25 each year now). Most of all, I have been interested in the results of the study -- which have been much harder to come by. When I was selected for a sub-group of follow-up questions three years ago, I began probing the interviewer about study results and trends. This year, the University of Minnesota's Department of Sociology provided participants with a newsletter. Some highlights:

1. In 17 years, the study has had an attrition rate of about 31%.
2. More than 2/3 of study participants are married or cohabitating
3. 20% of women and 12% of men were not working at ages 30-31 - which is a slight increase from when the cohort as a group was aged 24-25
4. Income for the 30-31 cohort increased significantly from when they were aged 24-25, with household incomes increasing from $19,000 to $55,000.

I continue to be fascinated by this data set, and more than a little interested in what others in my age group are doing. The most recent publication from the data is:

"Career Beginnings American Style: Agency and Floundering in Subjective Perspective." Jeylan T. Mortimer and Laura Fischer. In Inside the Frontiers of Adulthood: How Young Adults Understand and Navigate Their Lives. Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood Qualitative Study Cross-Site Volume, edited by Teresa Toguchi Swartz, Douglas Hartmann, and Ruben Rumbaut. Forthcoming. 3rd Annual Conference on Emerging Adulthood, February 15-16, 2007, Tucson.