Hi everyone, I’m Vanessa! I am a transfer student to Old Dominion University with a current junior standing. I previously worked on my undergraduate studies in Health Science at Monmouth University until 2018. I took a brief sabbatical from my education to work in the health care industry where I was able to experience many different positions within the field. Doing so gave me the reassurance I was seeking whether healthcare, in its many forms, was the right career path for me.
In 2019, I moved to Virginia where I continued to work in the healthcare industry with the goal of finishing my baccalaureate degree. In 2020, I was able to work on the front lines in the healthcare field during the Coronavirus pandemic. After feeling satisfied with my experiences in healthcare but unfulfilled in interest, I decided to pursue Psychology. I originally majored in Psychology at my previous university before switching academic and career paths to the medical field. Both Medicine and Psychology have been main interests of mine since a young age. The film “Silence of the Lambs” jumpstarted my interests in criminology and abnormal psychology, interests that have intensified since. As of January 2021, I have officially come out of educational retirement to pursue the remaining requirements of my baccalaureate degree in Psychology with a minor in Community Health.
Within the Psychology major students are able to choose courses per area of psychological study, in which I chose Social Psychology. Although this course is a requirement in a sense, I chose to take this course over others because of its effect on my overall interest of Forensic and Clinical Psychology. Social psychology’s focus on individual behaviors impacted by groups directly correlates to why criminals target specific demographics and commit certain crimes. My intended career path is to become a clinical, forensic, or abnormal psychologist within a medical or government agency setting. I expect this course to further help me understand how individuals impact communities socially, further expanding my repertoire of psychological understanding. With a diversified resume of Psychology courses, I am hopefully a better candidate for a masters program and eventual doctorate program.
I appreciate everyone’s time in reading more about me. I look forward to learning and collaborating with other academic colleagues this semester!
