Personal statement
“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world”
– Nelson Mandela
I have always had a passion for working with people and providing others with the support they may need. For this reason, majoring in psychology was an easy decision. Inspired by my courses in developmental psychology, I expanded my training by taking on an education minor. Upon completing my education course work and participating in school-based field placements, I found that psychology and education can go hand-in-hand, which is how I became interested in the field of school psychology.
What started out as simply an interest has grown into a passion. Towards the end of my undergraduate career, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in school psychology. I made the decision to join the Masters of Arts/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies School Psychology Program at the William James College (formerly Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology).
William James College has provided me with the opportunity to gain 900+ hours of supervised practicum experience and 1400+ hours of supervised internship experience. My two years as a practicum student and year as an intern provided me with a variety of valuable field-based experiences that have helped to shape my personal and professional self. Through field-based supervision, I have been able to gain experience utilizing and interpreting a variety of assessment tools, which has allowed me to look at the whole child and identify their particular strengths and weaknesses. Throughout my years in the M.A./C.A.G.S program, I have also improved my report writing skills to make reports both comprehensive and understandable for parents. I have been able to gain experience in counseling and consultation as well, which has allowed me to work with both students and teachers in a collaborative manner and improve upon my own communication skills.
I firmly believe that the work I have been doing with students has made a large impact on their lives. By providing counseling to students I have seen positive change in their lives over the course of the school year; whether it be simply building rapport with the student or teaching them strategies to cope with their feelings. Seeing the individual growth in students, in both maturity and ability to cope, has been a rewarding experience. I hope to continue to work with students in counseling because I believe that being a consistent part of a student’s week, will make a difference in a student’s life and allow them to access their education. I also find working with teachers to be a fulfilling experience as they are the direct service providers for the students. Finding ways to support teachers can help to, not only support a student’s education, but is key to having successful interventions and programs within a school.
Beyond my internship and as I launch into my early career, I plan on continuing to grow professionally by attending workshops. I want to work towards developing the skills necessary in order to make positive systems level change, as this is an aspect of the field that I am still continuing to grow and gain experience in. In the future I would like to be able to implement positive school climate changes based on the school’s needs. Another goal for me would be able to continue to develop as an advocate for students and families. I also hope to one day become a Field Supervisor for a graduate student in order to continue to contribute to the growing field of school psychology.
I feel that I have acquired the knowledge and developed the skills to be well prepared for my career as a school psychologist as well as a valuable addition to a school’s faculty. My experiences have given me the opportunity to grow and become a well-rounded professional in the field. I feel confident going forward into my early career with the preparation I have received. I will continue to work towards my goals and adjust them as necessary throughout my career.
– Nelson Mandela
I have always had a passion for working with people and providing others with the support they may need. For this reason, majoring in psychology was an easy decision. Inspired by my courses in developmental psychology, I expanded my training by taking on an education minor. Upon completing my education course work and participating in school-based field placements, I found that psychology and education can go hand-in-hand, which is how I became interested in the field of school psychology.
What started out as simply an interest has grown into a passion. Towards the end of my undergraduate career, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in school psychology. I made the decision to join the Masters of Arts/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies School Psychology Program at the William James College (formerly Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology).
William James College has provided me with the opportunity to gain 900+ hours of supervised practicum experience and 1400+ hours of supervised internship experience. My two years as a practicum student and year as an intern provided me with a variety of valuable field-based experiences that have helped to shape my personal and professional self. Through field-based supervision, I have been able to gain experience utilizing and interpreting a variety of assessment tools, which has allowed me to look at the whole child and identify their particular strengths and weaknesses. Throughout my years in the M.A./C.A.G.S program, I have also improved my report writing skills to make reports both comprehensive and understandable for parents. I have been able to gain experience in counseling and consultation as well, which has allowed me to work with both students and teachers in a collaborative manner and improve upon my own communication skills.
I firmly believe that the work I have been doing with students has made a large impact on their lives. By providing counseling to students I have seen positive change in their lives over the course of the school year; whether it be simply building rapport with the student or teaching them strategies to cope with their feelings. Seeing the individual growth in students, in both maturity and ability to cope, has been a rewarding experience. I hope to continue to work with students in counseling because I believe that being a consistent part of a student’s week, will make a difference in a student’s life and allow them to access their education. I also find working with teachers to be a fulfilling experience as they are the direct service providers for the students. Finding ways to support teachers can help to, not only support a student’s education, but is key to having successful interventions and programs within a school.
Beyond my internship and as I launch into my early career, I plan on continuing to grow professionally by attending workshops. I want to work towards developing the skills necessary in order to make positive systems level change, as this is an aspect of the field that I am still continuing to grow and gain experience in. In the future I would like to be able to implement positive school climate changes based on the school’s needs. Another goal for me would be able to continue to develop as an advocate for students and families. I also hope to one day become a Field Supervisor for a graduate student in order to continue to contribute to the growing field of school psychology.
I feel that I have acquired the knowledge and developed the skills to be well prepared for my career as a school psychologist as well as a valuable addition to a school’s faculty. My experiences have given me the opportunity to grow and become a well-rounded professional in the field. I feel confident going forward into my early career with the preparation I have received. I will continue to work towards my goals and adjust them as necessary throughout my career.