Psychology Major, Art History Minor
Graduate Student
American University, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program

“The diverse range of courses taught me a lot and helped me to identify my interests within psychology early on. The department also had great research opportunities in several areas of psychology.”

What has been your career path since graduating from Goucher?

I graduated from Goucher in 2015 with a major in psychology and a minor in art history. After graduating I worked  as a research assistant at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Within a year I was accepted into the clinical psychology doctoral program at American University, where I have been a student since the fall of 2016. In addition to coursework, I am being trained in cognitive behavior therapy and working as a project coordinator for a study examining the efficacy of a behavioral intervention for compulsive hair pulling (trichotillomania).

What were your most influential and valuable experiences at Goucher?

Some of my favorite and most influential classes at Goucher were the counseling psychology seminar, cognitive psychology and psychological distress and disorder. The diverse range of courses taught me a lot and helped me to identify my interests within psychology early on. The department also had great research opportunities in several areas of psychology. I got my first experience working as a research assistant at Goucher and I have loved psychological research ever since! I also really appreciated the friendly and professional culture in the departement. Seeing how the faculty members communicated with one another and their students helped me see how gratifying a career in psychology can be.

What advice do you have for current students interested in preparing for a path similar to yours?

For students interested in pursuing a career in clinical psychology, I recommend finding new ways to challenge yourself professionally as much as possible. One of the unique things about working in clinical psychology is that you can work in many different capacities day to day and over the course of your career. Getting comfortable learning new skills to use in different situations will likely serve you well during school and afterwards. Also make time to work on research!