Academic Relationships

This past Friday was my last academic class! Wow, I can’t believe I am saying that. Time passes us so quickly!!! It is a reminder to really enjoy life and to be grateful for everyday. My classmates and I have been so fortunate to grow close with our professors including those in other programs such as nursing and physical therapy. Also, we had the opportunity to connect with other faculty members including the dean of health science, the dean of graduate school, and the assistant dean of graduate studies. We were given the opportunities to travel with professors to Colombia, Nashville, and Baltimore as well as work closely together on projects and research! I have formed many close bonds with these individuals. It has really transformed my experience of graduate school into something amazing. Particularly, I have grown especially close with a professor of mine. Her name is Victoria Schindler. Her background is in mental health, which is an area of practice that I am passionate about. I took an interest in getting to know her and about her practice. Also, I was very lucky to be awarded a graduate assistantship with her. It allowed me to connect deeper to the mental health field. We traveled together with many others to Colombia and I learned much more about the psychosocial field than I could have ever expected. It has inspired me greatly and I couldn’t be more excited about my future practice in mental health. Truly, there is much more to learn outside the classroom. If you have the opportunity to connect more with your educators I would strongly recommend it. If you don’t have the opportunity, then I encourage you to create the opportunity on your own. You will be able to excel greatly beyond what you can learn in the classroom and out in the clinic. You can gain more personal insight by listening to individual’s stories and share ideas. By listening to others, you can learn much more about yourself and how you want to be. I am continually learning about myself and what I can bring to therapy. My academic career in the classroom is ending but I couldn’t be more excited about the next chapter of my life as a therapist.  My greatest advice is to take advantage of all the opportunities in graduate school. Make this chapter of your life memorable and meaningful. Volunteer, hangout with classmates, travel with classmates and professors, get involved with research, take on leadership roles, be a graduate assistant, and live life to the fullest. Because when it’s all over, you don’t want to look back with any regrets. In 20 years you won’t remember how broke you were but you will remember all those great times you experienced. So be broke and be happy and always have fun!!! I know I did and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the experiences I had. I would do it all over again if I could! Hugs, Michelle xoxo