Running head: P.E.P.S.I.

SCREENING 1

P.E.P.S.I. Screening

Adriana Santos

College of Southern Nevada

Abstract

This P.E.P.S.I. Screening is based on Briana Santos. Due to COVID restrictions, she and I were

unable to go anywhere public because her mother was uncomfortable with Briana leaving the

house. I was however able to observe her doing homework and how she spoke to her friends and

family. We spoke about different topics that helped me get a better understanding of who she is

as an individual, a student, a friend, a sibling, and as a daughter. I recorded the data I collected

and formed comparisons between Briana and other late adolescents with bar graphs as visuals.
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 3

Biography

Student was born on April 20, 2005 and will be turning 16 years old during this P.E.P.S.I

Screening. She is gender fluid and her pronouns are she/they. She is the youngest out of six

siblings. Three of the oldest siblings are from her father’s first marriage. The other two siblings

share her same mother and father. The older siblings are 29, 25, and 20 years older than the

student. The fully related siblings are 6 years older and 15 months older than the student. The

student did not grow up around the three oldest siblings but has spent her entire life with the

siblings she is most related to. She is very close in age to her older brother which has made them

very close to one another.

A little less than a month before her eleventh birthday, her father passed away from lung

cancer. He had been battling cancer since she was five years old. In between that six-year period,

he also had a triple bypass and was considered pre-diabetic. The student does not have many

complex and detailed memories of her father but is still able to hold onto ones that raise mild to

intense emotion from time to time.

The student has always attended public school. She did not experience moving around or

having to change schools either than the transition from elementary school to middle school. At

age 13 she moved to a different state, to a city where she did not know anyone but her mother

and brother. She has always been quiet and shy but has also been a very curious child which

allowed for her to venture out and join the world of all sorts of fine art and has taken an interest

in the medical field. As a child, the student briefly took dance classes but chose to discontinue

attending them. She then was in choir for three years and later decided painting was her passion.

The student is currently enrolled in two medical internships; one is entirely virtual and the other

is one site twice a week, and she is also active in a virtual art club that is run by her school.
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 4

Physical

Student is a solid 56 inches tall and her weight fluctuates between 78 and 82 pounds

depending on her eating and sleeping habits. The student has always been small for her age

group, but she has gained 10 pounds over the past year with a higher protein and plant-based diet

for most of every week. The student has always had a vitamin D and calcium deficiency which

along with genetics, plays a role in her size (Growth Charts). Student does try to gain weight

healthily by eating healthy at home, lessening fast food consumption, and by consuming

nutritional shakes like two Ensures a day. At age seven, her doctor recommended that she receive

daily hormone injections for one month to help spark a growth spurt due to how small she was

and how worried the parents were over the issue.

Student is not very active currently and claims to not enjoy activities where she may get

hurt or risk looking foolish. Activities like hiking, fishing, and crabbing are her favorite forms of

physical activity but do not occur frequently. She participated in track and field during the

beginning of her freshman year of high school, right as the pandemic caused the closure of

schools and all their athletic programs. Student has good balance and her hand-eye coordination

is pretty good when it comes to big movements. She does not enjoy catching or throwing objects

due to fear of getting hit or having poor aim. The influence of her friends plays a large role in the

activities she enjoys participating in, which is very common in adolescents (The Growing Child).

She instead claims to be an observer when it comes to physical activity. Student is much more

artistic than anything else. She is able to use all sorts of brushes for painting to achieve certain

types of details. When drawing student is also able to use a variation of tools to add different

layers of details and definitions to her drawings.

Student does have body odor and is hygienic to a certain extent. She only takes a shower

after sweating or before she has an event to attend. Brushing her teeth does not occur unless

someone does it with her or if she is attending an event such as school or church. But she is able

to perform each task with excellence. The only reason she does not fulfill each duty every day is

because she claims to be lazy. Student seems to have a lack of energy, but this can be tied to her

eating habits (Vågstrand et al., 2009). Due to lack of energy the student often goes through

episodes where she is sleeping throughout the majority of each day.

Physical Development
3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
Physiological Development Physical Activity Acceptance of Body
Completion

Peers' Average Student

In comparison to her peers, the student does have a harder time accepting her body due to

her being gender fluid (Ellsworth). Albeit she has confidence in herself and her appearance, there

are days where she struggles with how her body looks. Being underweight and under five foot

along with the affects of puberty causes the student to feel uncomfortable in her skin.

Nonetheless, she is proud to be gender fluid and is comfortable telling people.

Figure 1. Student compared to her peers from Ellsworth’s PEPSI chart in physical development.
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 6

Emotional

As a member of the LGBT+ community, the student identifies as gender fluid.

The terms gender fluid and genderqueer are used when someone does not identify with one

specific gender (Definition). As previously mentioned she is comfortable with others knowing.

She is secure in who she is as a person, especially after coming out to her friends and family as

gender fluid. In comparison to her peers, the student has a strong sense of self and is secure in

her identity (Ellsworth). The student does not feel negative emotions when it comes to her

gender identity as she is proud to have come to terms with accepting herself.

The student’s emotions are usually aligned with the situation at hand, but the student still

experiences random bursts of negative emotions. When the student is asked to do something that

she rather not, the chore is done with a hint of passive-aggressiveness. There is rarely a verbal

outburst in these situations because she struggles with expressing her own negative emotions.

When the student is having a rough day emotionally, this reaction can be triggered from anything

as little as being asked to take the dogs out.

One day, the student was placed on dish duty after dinner was made. She was asked to

complete the task before she went to bed. Her mother was very understanding the next morning

when she saw the dishes still in the sink. She asked the student why they were not cleaned the

night before and the student said because she was tired after dinner and went straight to bed. Her

mother asked her to have them cleaned before she came back from work, but the dishes were not

done in time. When her mother asked her to stop what she was doing to wash them, the student

stood up and made very loud noises while cleaning the dishes because she was upset. Any type

of emotional outburst is not enjoyable for any party involved but they are common and normal
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 7

during one’s adolescence (Swartz et al., 2014). Another time when a similar situation occurred,

the student happily did the dishes and then helped with making dinner as well. When compared

to her peers, the student does not always handle being told “no” very well (Ellsworth). She does

try to work on her reaction, but it can still be tricky to manage from time to time.

Emotional Development
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Self Identity Handling Being Told Sense of Integrity

Peers' Average Student

Student will not ask for help when needed due to embarrassment. Signs of internalizing

are typically higher in girls (Swartz et al., 2-014). She will only ask when she absolutely needs it

or will not complete the task if it seems too hard for her to figure it out on her own. If a school

assignment seems too hard to understand and those in her friend group are unable to help her,

then she will ask her older siblings or her teacher. There are specific teachers she will not go to

for any help because to her they seem hostile, so she would rather fail the assignment than go out

of her way in these situations. She does not like cheating with answers from her peers and she

does not like being used for answers either. This demonstrates that the student has a high sense
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 8

of integrity especially when it comes to her schoolwork (Ellsworth). During a situation where her

integrity is tested, she chooses to uphold it.

Figure 2. Student compared to her peers from Ellsworth’s PEPSI chart in emotional development.

Philosophical

Student was raised as Roman Catholic since she can remember but is not currently active

within the church due to COVID. Although she is comfortable in the Catholic church and has

gone through the process of being fully initiated at a young age, she does not completely identify

as a Catholic. She says she believes there is a higher power and she is searching to see what

religion, if any, resonate with her beliefs. When it comes to where the student stands with finding

her own beliefs, the student is around average compared to her peers just falling shortly behind

(Ellsworth). The student tries to stay true to herself entirely even if there is a pandemic getting in

the way.

This pandemic has been very hard on many people. The entire education system has been

affected, as well as everyone within it (i.e. students, teachers, administration, etc.,) has also been

affected by COVID-19 in one way or another mentally. Teaching remotely has driven a wedge

between students who believe they do not need to be at school verses those who really want an

education. The school the student attends has included mental wellness check ins to for everyone

in the school. Her teacher explained to her students during one of the mental wellness check ins,

that she has been suffering through a depressive episode due to being unable to be there for her

students in person. Communication is vital when it comes to adolescents and adults, especially in

times like these (White 2000). Although the student was not the most understanding as to why

grades were taking longer to be inputted into the grade book, she was much more patient with the

teacher afterwards. She decided to be much nicer to her teacher by turning in her assignments on
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 9

Philosophical Development
4.5

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
Following/Finding Own Belief System Feeling of Community

Peers' Average Student

opportunity to feel like a member of a community rather than being just a student, and she took

the initiative to put someone else before herself (Ellsworth). This shows that she is willing to put

aside her own desires to take her time and have little patience to be one less problem the teacher

must face.

Figure 3. Student compared to her peers from Ellsworth’s PEPSI chart in philosophical development.

Social

The student is very quiet, and she has trouble talking to people she is not comfortable

with. Once she is comfortable with a person, she is still quite quiet but voices her opinions with

ease. She enjoys keeping her social circle pretty small. She has about seven people she talks to as

a friend and out of those seven two of them she considers to be her best friends. That handful of

friends carry a large influence on what interests her in the moment. An example of the student’s

craving for approval by her peers is on page 4 of this PEPSI Screening. Her friends also
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 10

influence the activates she considers enrolling into within the school. In comparison to her peers,

the student does indeed seek for the approval of her friends specifically, but it does not rule her

world (Ellsworth). When it comes to her identity she has received support from family and

friends which is vital to an adolescent’s growth and progress (Koehler et al., 2014). As a gender

fluid individual, she identifies as asexual when it comes to intimacy and/or sexuality. Although

she has had a few boyfriends, they have never progressed further than a kiss. Since she does not

have an interest in becoming sexually active any time soon, this places her below her peer’s

average score for looking for intimacy (Ellsworth).

The student is judgmental of those who do not incorporate politically correct language

into their vocabulary. Being respectful to all people is something that is very important to the

student and that includes being politically correct when speaking about others. Two of her

siblings are also part of the LGBT+ community and she has grown up around other LGBT+ kids

her age—she does not tolerate poor language usage towards others.

There is one classmate in particular who she does not like because they make

misogynistic, homophobic, and racist remarks, which he also tries to justify when confronted

about his language. He used to be a part of her friend group when she first moved schools. This

group of students welcomed her with open arms since she was the new student. As time went on,

she realized he was not someone she wanted to be around because he does not want to change his

viewpoints nor his language when speaking about others. Compared to her peers she scored

highly for citizen of the world because she does whatever she can to make sure she is not

stepping over any lines (Ellsworth). She is making a point while educating others in order to hold

them to the same standards.

Figure
Social Development 4.
4.5
4 Student
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Need of Peer Approval Dependence on External Looking for Intimacy Citizen of the World
Acceptance

Peers' Average Student

Intellectual

The student is very good at critical thinking and problem solving of all sorts. She has

always read below her grade level but has exceled in all math subjects. If she does not

understand a passage or a prompt she will ask her peers and/or teachers for a better explanation

and as well as a proper example. Although her English reading levels are not aligned with her

own grade level, she does not have any problems with vocabulary, forming complex sentences,

and it does not affect her speech patterns. Since her reading falls below average and her math

skills are above average, she scored a little below her peers (Ellsworth). Nonetheless, the student

is very knowledgeable in methods needed outside of school.

The student wants to pursue a nursing career at the moment because she wants to leave

her mark on the world. Her goal in life is to change someone’s life for the better. Wanting to

make such a large impact in the world is pretty common in young adults her age (Ellsworth). The

student often wishes to "change the world" based on ideas that will make a difference and solve
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 12

problems. She is currently stuck between wanting to work in pediatrics or in the emergency room

because she thinks about where she can help to the best of her abilities.

Intellectual Development
4

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
Math and Verbal Formal Wanting to Change the World Pleasure from Reasoning and Logic
Operations

Peers' Average Student

It is said that “reasoning ability and logic give a sense of pleasure” in children classified

as being in her late adolescence (Ellsworth). The student gets very upset when she is unable to

put pieces together to any sort of problem. When she is able to solve any problem or get, her

mood dramatically switches to having a more positive outlook. When the student has a better

understanding possible solution, she is much more determined to see the issue through to the

end.

Figure 5. Student compared to her peers from Ellsworth’s PEPSI chart in intellectual development.
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 13

Student vs Peer Scores in PEPSI Screening

12

10

0
Physical Emotional Philosophical Social Intellectual

Peers Student

Figure 6. Student compared to her peers from Ellsworth’s entire PEPSI chart.
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 14

Recommendations

The student is not a very active person to begin with, but with COVID restrictions she

has been less active than usual. The student would benefit plenty from picking up a physical

activity for her own interest. Since she is unable to go fishing and hiking whenever she wants

she should venture out to see if there are any activities that may interest her to use as a stress

releaser. There is a golf course right behind her house which may be a good option for her to

look into.

When looking at the student’s emotional development scores she had scored highly.

Nonetheless, I would push for her to look for an outlet or an anchor for when she does not feel

like she can express herself verbally. A possible mantra or activity would be nice for her to be

able to turn to in times where she feels stuck, irritated or overwhelmed.

Philosophically, the student is doing very well. One thing I would recommend would be

for her to do research into different religions so she can see what is best suited for her. When she

was talking about looking into other religions I asked if she had started the research process and

she had not. That would be a good place for her to start with so she can have a better

understanding of the thing around her and of herself.

Socially, the student does fall below average. Albeit the part where she scored lowest was

when it came to the search for intimacy, I do not believe that is a fault of any sort. I would

recommend attempting to be more vocal with thoughts, ideas, and emotions. She is able to carry

conversations well enough. Yet to excel in social events the student must be more comfortable

speaking to people she is not very close to.

When it comes to the student’s intellectual abilities, she should try reading in her down

time before bed as she winds down. I would recommend reading books that are fun for her while
P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 15

also challenging yet doable. As she finishes each book she should pick up something more

challenging than the last. This way she is learning and progressing without overwhelming herself

with the thought of having to get better at reading.

References

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Growth Charts - Clinical Growth Charts. 11 Jan. 2019, from

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P.E.P.S.I. SCREENING 17

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