Nia Gooden - Attending a career related workshop or seminar (2-3 points) Psychology Pathways Zoom - (Class of 2029)

     On October 29th I had the pleasure of attending an informational zoom about career pathways and post-graduate opportunities for psychology majors. On this zoom there were 3 guest speakers who shared valuable information about graduate school and both the fellowship and career opportunities that are available with Teach for America. The three people on the zoom were Caleb Wilborn, a third year graduate school student in the sports psychology PhD program at the University of North Texas, Courtney Boston, a Spelman Alumna and current professor at Pacific Oaks college, and finally Lauren Tapley, a representative from Teach for America. Caleb Wilborn first gave us a backstory on what led him to sports psychology, sharing how his own experiences as a high school and collegiate level athlete encouraged him to explore and study the mental wellbeing of athletes. It was reassuring to hear that it’s possible to combine your different interests with careers in psychology. I learned that sports psychologists sometimes do consulting for coaches, which is something that I didn’t know. Wilborn emphasized the lack of diversity and visibility for the Black community in the psychology field and sports psychology as a subgenre in specific. Something he said stuck out to me, he said “this field needs all of us” (referring to Black people). He repeatedly asserted that your path in psychology does not have to be conventional or traditional. Wilborn’s contribution to the panel made me curious about the various careers in psychology I could explore for myself. It was nice to hear the experience of someone attaining a PhD since I would like to attain one myself. 

Next, I heard from Courtney Boston who has a PhD in clinical psychology and works as a professor at Pacific Oaks College. Dr. Boston’s segment on the panel primarily contained information about the Masters of Arts programs available at Pacific Oaks College. One program in specific piqued my interest, the African American Family studies specialization. This was my first time being exposed to a psychology space specifically dedicated to the study and care of African American people. I felt empowered by the idea of participating in this M.A. program and made a mental note about keeping Pacific Oaks College on my radar for when I apply to graduate schools. I asked Dr. Boston what graduate schools are looking for so I could use that intel to most effectively map out my next four years in preparation for graduate school applications. Dr. Boston said that graduate schools aren’t looking for one specific thing but an interest in social justice and community engagement definitely helps. 

Finally, I heard from Lauren Tapley from Teach for America. Tapley shared with us the possibilities for working in the Teach for America corps once we’ve graduated, something I hadn’t previously considered. She made it clear that we were all contenders for Teach for America despite not being education majors.  It was rewarding to be introduced to the TFA Ignite Fellows program. The TFA Ignite Fellows program involves virtually tutoring students of various ages for a small stipend. Tapley’s panel segment inspired me to apply to the program and I look forward to the possibility of participating. At the end of the zoom, Katherine Weigand, a faculty member in the psychology department gave her story and discussed industrial organizational psychology which is a field of psychology I’m enthralled with. The department chair of psychology was also in attendance. Overall this zoom was incredibly revelatory and it was a great way for me to start planning my future career and familiarize myself with the faculty in my major.

                                                    By: Nia Gooden