EMAIL:
mjohnson112@mail.roosevelt.edu
ANTICIPATED GRADUATION DATE:
May 2023
HOMETOWN:
Cincinnati, Ohio
WHY YOU CHOSE ROOSEVELT:
I chose Roosevelt for graduate school because I was impressed by the level of dedication to social justice. I was also greeted with open arms by the Psychology Department faculty, and thoroughly enjoyed my time at my interview. When it came time to make a decision, I didn’t even have to think twice before choosing Roosevelt.
MAJOR/MINOR:
WHY YOU CHOSE THIS MAJOR/MINOR:
At my undergraduate university, Ohio University, I was constantly being prepared for graduate school. For quite a while, I was dedicated to go to a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology, but I soon found that I enjoyed the Psy.D. practitioner-scholar model more than a traditionally research-focused program. In this program, I am being prepared to be the best mental health professional I can be, all while receiving a doctoral-level education.
DREAM JOB AND WHY:
My ultimate goal is to have a private practice in my home while also seeing clients at a local community mental health center. I hope to have a private practice in my home because I do want to be close to my family while I work. On the other hand, I also want to work part-time at a community mental health center to give back to the community that inspired me to do this work in the first place. There I hope to provide services to those who are marginalized and who desperately need it.
EXTRACURRICULARS (CLUBS, ORGS, JOBS, INTERNSHIPS, VOLUNTEER WORK, ETC.):
I work in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office as a graduate assistant. I was recently given the opportunity to advise the college’s CASSAC student leadership organization. I will also be beginning my first therapy practicum in the fall at one of the City Colleges of Chicago.
STUDY BREAK GUILTY PLEASURE:
Netflix. Hulu. Repeat.
PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT… :
In undergrad, I started out as a music therapy major with a focus on the piano. I ended up having a lot of pain in my hands after I graduated high school, and enjoyed the idea of starting something new so much that I decided to switch to a major in psychology.
ADVICE FOR INCOMING STUDENTS:
For undergraduate students:
Be in the moment and don’t wish away your experience here. Take in any and all experiences you are given while you are in undergrad, because you will learn so much about yourself and what you want to be in the future from it.
For graduate students:
Many students told me to engage in self-care, and would give examples that never fit my lifestyle, so find what self-care means to you and stick to it at least once a week. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help because everyone in your cohort is struggling and someone is always willing to lend a helping hand.
FAVORITE SPOT IN CHICAGO:
I really enjoy any of the parks in the loop area, but I also love the river walk when it’s warm out. I also spend a lot of time in Logan Square at all the local hang-outs and restaurants.
CAUSE YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WHY:
As a member of the Black community and a mental health professional in training, I am extremely passionate about changing the way we think about mental health in my community and others like it. This is one of the reasons I want to spend a significant part of my future working with disadvantaged and marginalized groups, because these groups are unlikely to seek treatment and even more unlikely to receive the treatment they deserve from clinicians that look like them.