Psychology Careers Panel Shares Insights at Saint Elizabeth University

What do I want to be when I grow up? What kinds of jobs can I get with my psychology degree? How can I succeed given that I don’t have the usual background? 

These were the kinds of questions the panel from the Minority Fellowship Program answered for the more than 50 students who attended the event Thursday, January 23.  Hosted by the Saint Elizabeth University department of Psychology, the event featured leading experts in the fields of addictions counseling, school counseling, sports psychology and counseling psychology. They shared the winding paths each of them took through the challenges of discovering what they really wanted to do and finding and creating communities to support them.

For Dr. Keri Kirk it was attending an HBCU, Howard University and being open enough to switch from kinesiology to psychology. For Tomeco Washington, her church involvement and a personal family crisis led her to pursue her degrees when she was in her thirties. Dr. Jorge Wong flunked out of pre-med on his road to becoming a therapist and advocate for prisoners. From Texas, Dr. Ann Santos visited a friend attending graduate school in Iowa during the summer and ended up being interviewed while wearing shorts, a tank top and sandals. Years later, Dr. Santos came back to work at that college.

The stories inspired and entertained the audience as evidenced by the long line of students waiting to talk to the panelists about some of the opportunities and scholarships they can apply.

APA's federally funded Minority Fellowship Programs (MFP) empower future leaders in psychology from underrepresented communities. The four MFP programs offer financial assistance, expert training, dedicated mentoring from experienced professionals and valuable resources and networking opportunities.

The MFP breaks down systemic barriers and fosters a more equitable mental health workforce.

Tomeco Washington, MA, LPC, ACS
Counseling Psychology

Keri Kirk, PhD
Sports Psychology

Jorge Wong, PhD
Addictions Counseling

Ann Santos, PhD
School Psychology