Graduate School Bound

A.J. Matuchniak (Psychology, '18) will attend University of California Irvine in the MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) program. It is an expedited MAT program that lasts only 14 months. He will be involved in the Multiple Subjects program as he looks to become involved in Elementary Education to help foster and develop the ever-evolving minds of our youth today.

"I believe that through my Psychology background from Cal Poly SLO I will be able to know how to aid and challenge the children I teach based on their developmental level that I learned about extensively in my time at Cal Poly SLO. I feel that Psychology will be helpful in my ability to teach youth because it is not only the intellectual developmental level that is important, it is equally important to take into account the child’s social and emotional developmental level in how they progress in their academics. I am excited to be attending UCI for the MAT Multiple Subjects program and am indebted to Cal Poly SLO for the knowledge and experiences I have gained."

Ally Yturralde (Child Development, '18) will be attending Baylor University’s School Psychology program in the fall where she will earn her master’s and education specialist degree. "This will allow me to become a full-time practicing school psychologist as I will become skilled in evidence-based interventions, assessment, consultation, research, and program evaluation. I have also received a graduate assistantship on the BU campus where I will work with at-risk undergraduate students. I hope to become involved in the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities and the Baylor Autism Resource Clinic," she shares.

"My time in the Cal Poly Child Development program has greatly prepared me to be successful in graduate school. I feel that the internship opportunity built into our curriculum gave me an advantage when applying to graduate school as I had hands-on experience in the field. The internship solidified my goal of becoming a school psychologist, and I am grateful for the experience. All of my major courses served to be extremely beneficial. I would like to thank Dr. Linda Lee and Dr. Denise Daniels for their continuous support and guidance throughout the graduate application process."

Hala Khamis (Psychology, '18) will be attending the University of San Diego in the fall for the Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis in medical family therapy. "This will hopefully be my first step in providing me with a practical foundation while I continue to do research and pursue a doctorate degree. I cannot thank the Psychology and Child Development Department enough for providing the wide range of courses available for students, both required and offered for electives. This provided me and other students an opportunity to find my passion within the clinical and counseling field, something I’ve never felt with other subjects. The department truly wants you to succeed and fuel your enthusiasm for the field. I want to thank Dr. Cynthia Breaux for being a mentor that I have looked up to throughout my undergraduate development, and her support through my stressful graduate application process. Also, Dr. Don Ryujin for his continuing support from the beginning of my change of major into the department. I would also like to thank Dr. Kelly Bennion and Dr. Jason Williams for their guidance in my research background and their continued support and guidance. I would not be where I am without any of them."

Keri Richardson (Child Development, '18) 
Richardson will attend San Jose State University's Extended Master's Program in Communicative Disorders and Sciences. Upon completing the program, she will earn a master's degree in education, with a concentration in speech pathology, and will be able to become a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP). "I'm thrilled to continue my education at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the community I was raised in. SJSU has an amazing program and provides the opportunity for students who completed their undergraduate degree in a different field to still apply to the extended master's program without getting a second bachelor's degree in speech pathology. I believe my background in child development is a huge asset. Not only does Cal Poly have an excellent reputation, but also having a background in child development will be incredibly useful."

She continues, "The education I've received from Cal Poly's Child Development program has strengthened my abilities and confidence when working with children. The Child Development program specifically adheres to Cal Poly's Learn by Doing motto by allowing us to observe and interact with children in the Preschool Lab on campus. We then received first-hand experience in the Preschool Lab working side-by-side with the children. Finally, we participated in two quarters worth of an internship of our choosing, providing us with amazing real-world experience and showing the opportunities that are out there for us. I'd like to thank every professor who has helped me along the way, especially my advisor Dr. Lee and mentor Dr. Jipson, whom I look up to as role models and aspire to be like someday. Thank you for everything!"

Madeline Pollard (Psychology, '18)
Pollard will be attending the Masters of Business Administration Program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly offers an accelerated 10 month program that allows students to finish the master's program and enter the workforce quickly. This program addresses the management, financial, and economic components to business administration. She hopes to pursue careers in organizational development or industrial organizational psychology after completing her education, and she believes the combination of a background in psychology and a master's in business will prepare her for such a field. "Cal Poly’s psychology undergraduate program did a great job of exposing me to the many facets that contribute to psychology as a whole and how it can be used in a variety of ways to improve both personal and professional lives. Given that we will be spending the majority of our adult lives at work, I want to contribute to improving the lives of employees in this context. Cal Poly provided me with a diverse education which influenced my choice to pursue a master's degree in business. My faculty advisor, Dr. Gary Laver, was a great help, as he advised me in which courses to choose to tailor my undergraduate experience to be beneficial toward my future career aspirations. I am so excited to be continuing my education with Cal Poly and to extend my stay in San Luis Obispo one more year!"