I intend to pursue a Master of Science degree in Applied Clinical Psychology because of the many benefits a higher education can provide. Graduate work will allow for more advanced study of the field of psychology, supervised placement in the counseling field that will improve my therapeutic abilities, and provide research opportunities in which I will add to the ongoing pool of scientific knowledge.
Reaching my professional career goal will find me working in a hospital, counseling children who have serious illnesses and their family members. The desire to work with this population began when a family member of mine was diagnosed with a serious illness. I spent nearly two years in and out of the hospital with him and recognized the need for an in-house counselor that could attend to the psychological needs of the patient as well as the family members. Often times such a service was not available, or if it was we were unaware of it. As such, my career goal is to create such a service in hospitals if it is not already offered. If it is already available, I will make this service known to patients and use the knowledge I gain at the University of Baltimore to improve the program.
There are numerable ways in which graduate study at the University of Baltimore will allow me to accomplish my career goals. First and foremost, graduate study will allow for more advanced classes and enhanced knowledge about a complex and growing field. I enjoy helping others, but I am even more passionate about learning what it takes to be an effective researcher and therapist.
More in-depth research opportunities are another way in which graduate study will help me accomplish my career goals. As an undergraduate I had the opportunity to design my own independent research project for which I am currently collecting data. My original intention was to survey children who had been admitted to a local children’s hospital for treatment of serious illnesses. The research was designed to measure the child’s coping mechanisms and compare them to what the parents believed their child’s coping mechanisms were. Unfortunately, I was unable to carry out this research due to hospital rules and regulations.
Along those same lines, though, I am currently assessing the impact that siblings and friends have on the psychological health of college students. I am interested in learning to what extent the role of social support plays in arresting depression and anxiety. I am hypothesizing that college students who have a solid support system will show more positive coping skills and less anxiety or depression. In the spring I will be analyzing the data and writing a research paper. I will also be presenting my findings to faculty members at the Honors Colloquia.
As a result of this experience, I have become more studious and more appreciative of the process, need and benefits of research. In the future I would like to investigate how individuals and families cope with the stress of serious medical/health conditions. I was very excited to discover a member of your faculty, Dr. Thomas Bailey, whose research interests align with mine. I hope that by continuing my education at the University of Baltimore I can contribute to the ongoing research of stress and coping or related areas and advance scientific knowledge therein. Reaching my research goals after receiving a graduate degree will find me investigating the effects of stress on individuals and families dealing with serious illness, as well as discovering new and effective coping strategies.
While at Illinois State University I have had numerous highly beneficial experiences related to my intended field and I feel that they are only a touch of what lies ahead of me. I was chosen to be a Peer Mentor for both the Honors Program and the Psychology Department for Illinois State University and from these opportunities grew more attracted to the field of counseling. As a Peer Mentor I was chosen to represent Illinois State University at the National Collegiate Honors Council to give a presentation about our program. I have also volunteered over 140 hours at a crisis hotline, where I gained an entirely different kind of education. These hours have been spent handling calls ranging from an angry teen to contemplation of suicide. Being a mentor and a crisis line volunteer has certainly impacted my life. I learned how to think on my feet, utilize available resources, and how to respond to many different types of personal problems that I was approached with. I also learned the meaning of dedication, commitment, and hard work. Working in small groups has become very enjoyable to me, and I learned that I enjoy giving as well as taking directions.
I am excited to continue my education into graduate study because it will provide supervised field placement in which I can gain more experience and knowledge that is not offered in the classroom. I feel that there are many skills an effective therapist must have, and graduate study is the key to learning and refining those skills in order to achieve my career goals.
I recognize the societal benefits of the field of psychology and have a great appreciation for the many situations in which psychology can be useful. In order to personally utilize its worth, though, I recognize the need for continuing education. I look forward to more advanced classes and research opportunities that will significantly increase my knowledge. I am confident that the University of Baltimore can provide this education and consequent opportunities to work in the field for which I am so passionate.