家乡: 墨西哥瓦哈卡州
主要: 临床心理学
The power and importance of wisdom and knowledge are pillars of Mixteco culture, whose members are a peaceful people in the region around 墨西哥瓦哈卡州, 我出生的地方. While neither of my parents received a formal education, throughout my childhood they both emphasized the importance of learning and education. Mixtecos value the preservation of unity and harmony within community and family, which ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in clinical psychology.
I am the first member of my family to attend college, and the journey has not been easy. While I attended community college for two years, I was encouraged by the people around me to apply to highly ranked universities where I could continue studying psychology. Little did I know that the next two years at SPU would strongly challenge my academic abilities and my faith.
当我在 心理学 program, I was introduced to a wide variety of methods for examining the human mind. During my junior year, I served as an intern for a nonprofit mental health agency. As a child mental health therapist, I was able to work with children who had been diagnosed with psychological issues. But it was my enrollment in Dr. Kathleen Lustyk’s “Physiological 心理学” course during my senior year that sparked my interest in neuropsychology, which would eventually strongly influence my career path.
除了学术, I encountered new belief systems and theological issues, which forced me to examine religion from a different perspective. The ability to unearth these questions and discuss them with students, 工作人员, and faculty was extremely enriching. Through these relationships, I was able to reconcile my faith and indigenous background into a cohesive spiritual identity.
毕业后，博士. 迈克尔罗伊 encouraged me to seek training in psychological research. I was presented with the opportunity to volunteer in Dr. 贝弗利·威尔逊研究计划, which not only was instrumental in providing me with training, but also prompted me to pursue a doctoral degree.
目前, I am a postdoctoral fellow in neuropsychology at the Truman VA Medical Center in Columbia, 密苏里州. Acquiring special training in traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder will allow me to answer my calling for rehabilitation neuropsychology while solidifying the foundation of my culture.