Growing up, I knew that I wanted to help people. I have always had the passion to give back to my community. For the majority of my high school experience I was uncertain about what career field I wanted to go into, however, I knew I needed to make an impact in my community. As a teenager I witnessed how drug abuse, violence and the lack of resources can affect ones well-being mentally and physically. I was motivated to utilize education as a way to help better myself and others. My junior year in high school I decided to engage in summer research. I had the opportunity to be a part of the Upward Bound math/science trio program at Morehouse College. The summer program was an extensive 6-week program. I conducted hands on research with the …show more content…
As a high school student I learned that research was a valuable part of making an impact in the world. My freshman year of college I still was undecided about my major. I battled with the decision of going into the science field or social science field. I decided to spend my time volunteering and being a part of organizations to find what I was truly passionate about. Through this experience of volunteering with at risk high school students who struggled with social, emotional and behavioral problems I noticed the importance of healthy ways of coping. My interest in psychology was further propelled after reading an online blog about why African Americans avoid psychotherapy. Mental health in the African American community is rarely discussed. This article gave me a better perspective of how I wanted to make an impact in my community. Growing up in an urban neighborhood I never realized the lack of mental health resources that was available to one who is underprivileged. This article made me critically think about mental health issues and the importance of mental health …show more content…
As a college student I value faculty mentors and their expertise. Having my own mentor can help me serve as a research mentor to college freshman’s who are interested in psychology. Obtaining a Ph.D. in clinical psychology is my ultimate goal to fulfill my desire to own my own practice. I feel that doing Treatment-Related Research for Youth with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems is a perfect match for my career goals. In particular I am interesting in examining and developing instruments related to social and emotional behavior problems in African American children. I feel that this program will help me develop better research skills and further my knowledge about the graduate process and how to be better prepared for graduate school. I also want to participate in this program because this will be an excellent networking opportunity. Participating in this program will allow me to meet people from various backgrounds, I will be able to gain a more diverse perspective about psychology. From this experience I hope to gain a more in-depth understanding of the research process from beginning to end. From this program I want to gain a better understanding of graduate school and the necessary skills to get into graduate school. I want to have as much Exposure to research as an undergraduates so that I can increase the likelihood of