Student Ambassadors / Master of Science with a Major in Psychology

Meet Sam, Havilah, and Elinita

Samantha Sandlin

• Program: Master of Science with a major in Psychology -Clinical/Counseling Track

• Hometown: Augusta, Ga

• Mentor: Dr. Jenelle Slavin-Mulford - mentor; Dr. Jeremy Coleman - thesis advisor

• Research project: My master’s thesis explores therapist technique usage, patient readiness for treatment, therapist’s multicultural orientation (MCO), and the relationship between the therapist and patient during psychotherapy in jails.

• Internship: I am doing a clinical internship at a private practice, wherein I am conducting assessments and working with therapy patients.

• Why did you choose your degree program?  I have always had an interest in human behavior and how the interaction between biological, psychological, and social components impacts an individual’s thoughts, feeling, and behavior. Further, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to contribute to a science that is so human-focused, and oriented to the betterment of society. Obtaining my Master of Science in Psychology will provide me with the skills and knowledge to continue my education, or to practice if I chose to.

• What important lesson have learned from your mentor? The greatest lesson that I have learned from my mentor was one of self-compassion and understanding. I had a tough first semester of graduate school, due to falling sick from COVID-19 and having a death in the family all within my first month. My mentor checked-in on me often and offered steadfast support. Her kindness and unwavering support helped me to understand that I cannot always work at peak performance, and that I should be kind to myself in those moments.

• What have you found most beneficial and enjoyable about your program at AU? The cohort model is one of my favorite aspects of the Master of Clinical/Counseling Psychology program. Having support from my peers, as well as my mentor has been instrumental in my progress as a professional.

• What words of advice do you have for someone considering this program? Enjoy your time while you are here. Time moves by quickly, and although you are busy, make time for yourself and appreciate each moment while you are in it – your experience will be even more fulfilling if you do.

• What have been some of your most rewarding moments while in your program? I would say that my most rewarding moments are working with patients. Whether I am conducting an interview, administering assessments, working with a therapy patient, or working with other professionals in the field and observing their work – I am constantly learning and being challenged in new ways. The culmination of many experiences that I have had in my program has led to a tremendous amount of professional and self-growth that I am especially thankful for.

• What are your career goals? I am in the process of applying to Clinical Psychology Ph.D. programs with a specialty in forensics. I hope to eventually work as a forensic psychologist and have a diversified list of responsibilities. I enjoy clinical interviewing, administering assessments, and therapy. I hope to work independently in conducting forensic evaluations, as well as working with some therapy patients.

• What courses in your program stand out as most helpful for your specific career goals? All of my courses have had value that will contribute to my continued education and development. Although, if I had to choose a few that solidified my interests and facilitated skills that I will continue to carry with me, I would choose the following: personality assessment, behavioral pathology, therapy I and II courses, and cognitive assessment. I will not spoil anything for prospective students, but practicing diagnostic interviewing in my behavioral pathology course was one of the most fun experiences that I have ever had in a class.

• What AU resources have been most helpful? The library and the academic journals and databases that are made available to us have been incredibly helpful as I have conducted research at AU. I have been able to schedule meetings with a librarian when I am struggling to find research on a topic. They have provided me with tips, as well as articles that I had been struggling to find on my own.

• What do you do for fun? In my free time I love to dance, read, do my nails, spend time with friends, family, and my great Pyrenees dog.

 

Havilah Ravula

• Program: Master of Science with a major in Psychology - Applied Experimental

• Hometown: Lawrenceville, GA

• Mentor: Dr. Michael Hoane, Dr. Jay Hegde, Dr. Deborah Richardson, Dr. Jenelle Slavin-Mulford

• Thesis Project: “Vitamin B3 administration after experimental traumatic brain injury: Using dig tasks to observe behavioral impairment and improvement in rodent models.” 
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• Internship: Augusta University, Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine.
  1) Perception of Complex Visual Images: A Human Neuroimaging Study
  2) Neural Correlates of Recognizing Camouflaged Objects: A Human fMRI and EEG Study

• Why did you choose your degree program?  I chose this program after doing several career assessments in my senior year of college. After I gained a better sense of what I wanted to do, I realized that this program was a perfect bridge to my future education and career goals.

• What is the greatest wisdom that you have learned from your mentors? I learned to take a step back and not fret about not knowing everything. I am in school to learn, so if I just continue to pursue learning and improvement, I am on the right track.

• What have you found most beneficial about your program at AU? I have found the faculty mentorship to be the most beneficial aspect of my program. I can speak to the faculty about any doubts I have about my next steps. They always respond with my best interests in mind. I have gotten some wonderful tips and advice during my time here.

• What words of advice do you have for someone considering this program? I would look into all of the wonderful research that the faculty members are doing. It is always great to see the diversity of the research happening at AU; try and see what you can get involved with!

• What have been some of your most rewarding moments while in your program? Some of my most rewarding moments have been getting to know my cohort members and the faculty. I really feel that everyone in this program has my best interests in mind. I have so many people with different strengths and specializations that I can talk to and ask for guidance about my goals and what to do to achieve them in both the near future and the long term.

• What are your career goals? My short-term goal is to complete a PhD program that combines neuroscience and psychology; I just want to study the brain! My long-term career goals involve working in research or maybe in academia.

• What courses in your program stand out as most helpful for your specific career goals?  We have a practicum, internship, and thesis courses that I find very helpful and relevant to my career goals. They have been instrumental in getting me the research and teamwork experience that I need to stand out and be successful.

• What AU resources have been most helpful? There are plenty of resources here that have helped me throughout my time at AU. The one that comes to mind right now, however, is the career services office. If I hadn’t taken their career assessments, I might have never considered the field that I am interested in now, and I would not have known to apply to my program.

• What do you do for fun? I like to listen to music, play instruments, lift weights, learn about languages and cultures, read and write, and learn more about myself and the world we live in.

 

Elinita Pollard

• Program: Master of Science with a major in Psychology - General Experimental Track 

• Hometown: Augusta, GA

• Thesis Project: Determinants of Infant Mortality in the United States

• Why did you choose your degree program? I chose this degree program because I went to Augusta University as an undergraduate student, so I knew how supportive the faculty are.

• What is the greatest lesson you have learned from your mentor? The greatest lesson I have learned in this program is it is okay to take time for yourself when you need it. In fact, you will produce better quality work when you take care of yourself.

• What have you found most beneficial and enjoyable about your program at AU? I really enjoy the small class sizes because they have allowed me to engage with other members of the program easily. I also find the opportunities the professors provide very beneficial. As a student on the experimental track, I have had plenty of opportunities to conduct different types of research. This has allowed me to narrow down my interests and master a variety of skills.

• What words of advice do you have for someone considering this program? The faculty here really care about your success and you as an individual. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need to.

• Have you been involved in any AU committees?  I have been involved with the Community Engagement Steering Committee. This is part of the Human Research Protection Program. This experience has been rewarding as it has prompted me to think about research in a different way.

• What have been some of your most rewarding moments while in your program? Finishing a manuscript with a research team and submitting it for the first time was a very rewarding experience. I presented three posters at the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) conference. They were titled "Multicultural Orientation in cross-racial clinical supervision processes and outcomes," "Correlates of financial informed consent in professional psychology education, and "Developing modern measures of anxiety for use in Therapy." The faculty mentor for the first two was Dr. Melanie Wilcox. The faculty mentor for the last one was Dr. Jeremy Coleman. I also had a poster presentation at the American Psychological Association (APA) conference with Dr. Coleman. This one was titled "Forced isolation: An isolation measure developed during mandatory lockdowns."

• What are your career goals? I would like to work in an environment that allows me to work closely with communities.

• What courses in your program stand out as most helpful for your specific career goals? Research Methods I and Research Method II stick out to me because they provided a strong foundation.

• What do you do for fun? I enjoy reading, journaling, and baking in my free time.