Hello! My name is Zabia Evans, and I am a sophomore at Old Dominion University. I have chosen to study Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology as my major, and Psychology as my minor. I enjoy studying the human brain and body, but more importantly how they intertwine and interact with each other. I have found the career field I hope to enter, Speech Therapy, a fitting interaction between the two. Following my undergraduate career, I plan to apply to graduate school and continue my institutional education for two more years to obtain my Master’s degree, to further prepare me for my career. However, my journey does not end there. Due to my career field, additional certifications, examinations, and other components are often needed, meaning I am in for a long journey of acquiring knowledge!

Growing up in Northern Virginia, a highly diverse area, I have been given the opportunity to meet many different people from different backgrounds and varying walks of life. Meeting different people, with different joys and challenges has always pushed me to feel inclined to help those who need it the most. My passion for helping others began early in my childhood when I joined the Girl Scouts of America, an organization that not only builds young girls into women as they age but strives to assist those in need. During my teen years, I participated in varying community service opportunities from feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving, helping animals in shelters, and cleaning my local environment to preserve its beauty. My history of striving to be selfless and dedicated to others has only deepened my desire for helping others on an even larger level – through therapy and rehabilitation of speech. Communication is something that is used daily and is often taken for granted by those who have never found issues in expressing themselves effectively. Bringing joy to those who have been struggling for months, and even years, with using their voice in the way they desire would be an indescribable accomplishment. 

As a student with a psychology minor, I immediately felt as if this course would be an insightful and interesting experience. My introduction to the subject began in my senior year of high school when I decided to enroll in an AP Psychology course. This quickly became my favorite class, as I found the study of dissecting the mind and how it operates very intriguing. I specifically enjoyed learning about childhood development, relationships, and mental disorders, as I have struggled with certain disorders myself. This social psychology course specifically combined my favorite subject of psychology with another interesting class I enrolled in, sociology. Another primary reason that I chose to take this course is that I feel as if understanding how others operate, is key to understanding the self and cultivating successful relationships with those around you. 

My goal for this course is to truly understand and retain the material so I may use it in the future not only to benefit my educational experience but to enhance my views of other people and behaviors. I anticipate this to be a successful mission, due to the involvement of reflections and evaluation within the course.