What do you enjoy most about your current position? 

What I enjoy the most about my current position is knowing I am making positive changes in my community on a daily basis. Being able to facilitate the prevention psychoeducation training to victim service providers, law enforcement, and government agencies in order to help them provide survivors of human trafficking holistic trauma-informed care and seeing it in practice within our legal systems is the most rewarding part of my role.

How has your coursework helped you in your current position?

As a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice, I was able to grow a unique skillset. Research methods courses in both criminal justice and psychology prepared me for conducting field research in my current position to attempt to accredit the prevention education curriculum and make it standard practice in public school systems in the DMV. The electives in CCJS such as Victimology, Race & Crime, and Evolving Legal Issues helped me to remain current on ever-changing practices in our legal systems. As a victim service provider, I use many victim-centric approaches on a daily basis and collaborate with many other service provider organizations making my Victimology coursework an invaluable resource. Psychology coursework is helpful for my current position because I am able to facilitate trainings on mental health interventions and best practices for working with survivors of trauma, torture and violence. Notable courses were Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Adult Psychopathology, Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships and Developmental Psychology. Given the large Latinx population in the DMV area, the language and communication skillset I gained from my Spanish coursework allows me to provide services in Spanish and English.

Which undergraduate experiences did you find most helpful in preparing you for your current position?

During my undergraduate career, I was a member of the Department of Psychology Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I took part in numerous diversity-related initiatives including creating a best practices guideline, conducting and reporting the annual Multicultural Climate Survey, and planning events for undergraduate psychology students geared toward improving access to professional and academic opportunities in the department. Working with the distinguished faculty of the psychology department helped me to grow professionally and personally while introducing me to various career paths in psychology, which ultimately inspired me to pursue a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology. Dr. Nazish Salahuddin, the co-chair of this committee, was a tremendous mentor throughout my undergraduate learning and an amazing professor.

Any job advice for students seeking a position in your field?

Attend seminars, fairs and other speaking engagements related to your interests to learn more about the field. Take part in resume workshops and mock interviews. Ensure to keep your LinkedIn up to date and don’t be shy when it comes to reaching out to your connections for new opportunities. It’s important to note that in this field, many organizations and agencies are willing to accept volunteers, many of whom can become prospective new hires or interns. Widening your search to recruitment portals outside of the University Career Center, such as Handshake, and setting up job alerts on LinkedIn can help you be an early applicant for new openings.

Advice for students:

Make introductions and get to know your professors, TAs, and your fellow peers. Get involved in research assistantships and/or teaching assistantships to gain more experience as well as to develop your personal academic and professional interests. Finding your passion is the key to your success! There are many opportunities in the public and private sector for forensic psychology and many unique paths to explore!