A Career As A Research Assistant

Dear Saint Joseph’s University Graduate Admissions Committee,

Growing up, being a student-athlete was one of my main roles as an individual. Doing great things for and with my teams in a mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging environment, was my ultimate passion. I learned how to become comfortable with the uncomfortable while taking risks to resolve conflict; I learned how to give and receive critical feedback to utilize as fuel for improvement; I learned how to embody a mission and establish and execute individual and team goals, all while staying composed under pressure; Overall, I experienced the unimaginable growth and success that can develop when teams unite towards a shared vision and unlock potential. Early on, I was told

I yearned to utilize my passion for psychology, children, and research in order to gain greater insight into the life of a child. While still acting as a Student Teacher, I took on the role of Research Assistant for one year in order to conduct perspective-taking and Theory of Mind experiments with pre-school children and use statistical analysis to learn about the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie communicative interactions. Working specifically with a PhD visiting student from Brown University and the Research Coordinator at Bing, I learned how to observe, design, conduct, code, analyze, and implement psychological research and its findings. Together we performed emotional intelligence and mindful communication research with pre-school children to enhance comprehension of socially important behaviors and their related environmental variables. Being a Student Teacher and Research Assistant not only made me realize how appreciative I was of my Psychology major, but I also learned just how impactful my experience as a student-athlete was for developing and strengthening particular qualities and characteristics necessary when working with and being a leader for children, their families, and their teachers. The challenges I endured and the lessons I gained from being a student-athlete helped me that much more with patience,

My Education coursework has further enhanced my Psychology, Student Teaching, and Research Assistant background by building upon the various theories, models, research findings and experiences and implementing them into specific educational settings and policies. I have been fortunate enough to learn about advanced trends in special education, to receive formalized instruction on inclusive classrooms and differentiated instruction, to witness Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans and meetings, and to hear from students and teachers about the multitude of biological, psychological, and environmental factors that both enrich and hinder a child’s educational and daily life