I am always amazed at the ways in which Gonzaga left an imprint on my professional development. During my undergraduate studies, I majored in psychology and classical guitar performance with a minor in Philosophy. Within the psychology program, I learned how to adapt my creativity from years of studying classical guitar to the research process. Combined with my enjoyment of organization, psychological science hooked me. I developed a passion for social justice when I became a trained facilitator in bystander intervention and a member of the sexual assault task force committee.
"My time at Gonzaga was such an essential part of my personal development as a human that I wanted to help other students on their university journey."
All my interests came together during my program interviews applying to Counseling Psychology PhD programs. The shared values of multiculturalism and social justice seemed to fit well for me, as well as the opportunity to engage in therapy, assessment, and research. I knew I found the right program when I found a researcher that was interested in studying novel measurements of sexual assault perpetration. I decided to pursue my PhD in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Dakota.
My time at Gonzaga was such an essential part of my personal development as a human that I wanted to help other students on their university journey. As such, I have focused on college student mental health by completing a majority of my clinical rotations at college counseling centers. While my training has largely been generalist, I approach therapy from an interpersonal and mindfulness informed approach.
I am currently in my final year of my PhD in Logan, UT where I am completing my pre-doctoral internship at Utah State University. As I look forward to life post-PhD, I aim to obtain a position as a faculty member where I can continue to mentor students in their development as researchers and counselors. I look forward to the opportunity to continue my research agenda examining sexual assault policies.