Csulb´s School Psychology: Personal Statement

When I began my undergraduate career, I primarily wanted to pursue a career in psychology to improve my understanding of the human mind since I always had a passion for problem-solving, and connecting with others by finding a solution to various situations. However, as I took an introduction to communication and public speaking class, my passion expanded into other areas. I enjoyed the idea of interacting with others through different forms of communication and helping others develop their communication skills. I discovered Communicative Disorders as a major, which led me to the speech-language pathology field during undergrad. It was not until a few years ago when I chose to pursue relevant experience as a behavioral therapist and speech-language

Dr. Kristin Power’s research interest in school psychology services and training in Vietnam was one that particularly stood out to me. As a first-generation Vietnamese American, I understand the social pressure to excel and perform above average in academia. Through my background as a behavioral therapist, I worked with many Vietnamese families with a child with autism or other developmental disabilities. They had little to no understanding of the obstacles their children may face in the future, especially in the academic setting. In order to help these families overcome these barriers, CSULB’s faculty research in school psychology in Vietnam will help me gain knowledge of how to provide services to those that come from diverse backgrounds. Under direct supervision of a faculty member, the skills I will learn from faculty research will help me facilitate treatment protocols for children and youth that visit the on-site clinic. As a school psychologist, I am also able to break any language barriers to the Vietnamese community. I will help find solutions and teach families and others to be adaptable to differences in others. I understand the feeling of overcoming barriers, which forced me to better apply myself during my undergrad career and commit to reaching my potential. Part of this was the pursuance of relevant work experience as a behavioral

The school psychologists are the ones providing behavioral interventions to enhance growth and learning by collaborating with other colleagues and families. They are respectful, sensitive, and extremely accepting. They are transparent when they see differences and seek ways to provide the most appropriate services so that every child could reach their best