There is a certain school psychologist in the Bay area who miraculously finds time to blog, too. I adore
her blog as she explains, with such dignity and wit, the nuances of my career. She also finds time to post on Facebook... often asking questions to get a discussion going, share tidbits of her day, etc.
Anyway... a few weeks ago she posted a question in regards to why she choose school psychology vs. clinical and/or working in the private sector. It made me think of my own story...
Apparently when I was just a wee little child, I came home from school and announced to the family that I wanted to be a baby nurse. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a baby nurse...or as I got older... a pediatrician. Then in high school I realized several obstacles in this self-directed path. 1) I don't like spit. It's really gross and I just can't handle it. 2) I'm really not smart enough. Okay, sure... I could have gotten through med school, but it would have been torture. Math, chemistry, all that jazz just don't come easily to me and I would have really struggled to make it happen. My bed side manner would be great, but that doesn't save lives.
Luckily for me, one of my favorite high school teachers taught a psychology class. I took it because I liked the teacher and liked the idea of psychology. He showed a lot of videos. Specifically, he showed a lot of Phillip Zimbardo videos. They were amazing!!! (I still love me some P. Zimbardo) I loved them and became fascinated with the study of the mind and behavior. I decided then and there that since med school was not really practical, psychology would still keep me in the health field but a much easier route....so off to college I went.
Sub-plot: Since the age of 6-7 I had been playing piano. I loved playing, competing, anything to do with the piano. I also learned to play the clarinet and had a stint with a bassoon for a year or so. I sang with the choir on occasion, too. So as a junior in high school when we learned about potential careers, I discovered Music Therapy. It seemed like a good idea and an excellent career plan... so I went up to Utah State, and with the courage of my dad behind me, demanded an audition into the Music Therapy program. They don't typically let freshmen in the program, but I got in. Wahoo... so off to college I went.
I really enjoyed my first year at Utah State. They were fabulous for a variety of reasons. I loved my psychology classes and music therapy classes. I started learning the guitar and enjoyed the time I spent with that professor. My music theory and performance classes, however, were slightly traumatic... which means I barely scraped by with a B (not acceptable in my high achieving mind). They were so hard... and my professor looked like Guy Smiley, which totally didn't help. My piano professor also made me cry. A lot. It was a little bit of the small fish in a big pond phenomenon.... all which led to a kidney stone the size of a pea a week before finals in my first semester. Not pleasant.
After that first year of frustration, I figured out the pressure of my music classes were leading me to hate the thing I love most... music. I also decided that I did not need a piece of paper to allow me to use music in my therapy. So I switched my major to psychology.
Now, what does one do with a B.S. degree in Psychology? That's right. Nothing. I also had in the back of my mind it wouldn't really matter because I had been told since the age of 10 that if I did what I was supposed to, chose the right, etc I would be married to a knight in shining armor at the age of 20, be having (or buying) babies at 22, and would only really need a degree in the freak chance that I became a widow at 25. (11 years later, let me tell you how that worked out!) But I knew it was expected (both by parents and church and myself) that I would finish a degree that would be useful. That meant I needed to add something to this loved psychology degree... ah, the fall back of all young Mormon women.... teaching! (total generalization.... I don't really believe that!)
When I called my parents to inform them of my plans, I believe my father's words were, "I told you so." (Or at least something along those lines). I took several teaching courses, participated in many teaching experiences, and loved every minute of it. Father knows best, right? I love teaching. It is so rewarding to see students learn and I adore helping them experience new situations and ideas.
In my last semester of classes, I attended a life changing course. My teaching methods professor had invited a graduate student in the school counseling program to come and tell about what a school counselor does. He also went into what a school psychologist does. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!! The bells, lightbulbs, and whistles were all going off! This was what I wanted to do! But that would require graduate school.
Since marriage was not in the picture anytime soon, while I was student teaching in fall 2002, I took the GRE, applied to graduate schools, and started getting ready to graduate and move on. In April 2003 I was accepted to UNC-CH's Master of Education program in School Psychology. Three years later I graduated with said Master's degree and started a career that is a beautiful marriage of two things I love... teaching and mental health.
Now, five years later, I mostly teach grown-ups... teach teachers how to work with students who learn differently. Teach principals how to develop programs that positively impact student's mental health. I still get to teach students, too... teach them about the power of their choices, teach them to see the power of perspective, teach them how to get along with their peers, and help them solve their problems! It really is great and while it's occasionally frustrating, it's extremely refreshing to have a career that I love.
So that's my story... it's why I do what I do.
