I didn’t follow the traditional path to get to where I am today at UC Irvine. When you grow up in small town Kansas, the standards set for your educational and professional growth are not as high as they ought to be. My parents, and others in my community, never felt it was necessary to attend college. College was something other people did, smarter, more privileged people; and, the way the administration blew students who wanted to attend to college off at our public high school, it was quite clear they never believed we would find our way into higher education regardless. I always felt like I had a bigger purpose in life than to simply stay in one place, work in retail, and never do anything of substance with my life. After five long years of up and downs, moving across the country, financial setbacks, and stressors. I finally finished my associates degree in Los Angeles. …show more content…
It wasn’t until I interviewed a psychologist for my public speaking course that I realized I could have a career in a field I felt passionate about. Psychology helped me get through adolescence and make sense of an ever-confusing world. I was coping with a parent who was dealing with addiction and mental health issues. This was challenging for me, and my mother needed just as much help and guidance as I did. Psychology was the first window into understanding my feelings and hers. The deeper I get into psychology, the more I understand my mother’s behaviors and actions. It helps me understand how those behaviors made me feel at the time, as well as appreciate how they shaped my understanding of the