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Growth and Gratitude, Sofia Moore, PsyD, School/Clinical Psychology, May 2020

I finished my last three semesters of my undergraduate degree at Roberts and am so thankful for the many opportunities for personal and professional growth that have blossomed from that first decision. I remember wondering what to pursue after graduation and having Dr. Grimm as my undergraduate advisor telling me that she could see me in a clinical psychology doctorate program one day. This was almost 2 years before the Roberts Psy. D. program was birthed and unbeknownst to me at the time, this conversation foreshadowed the path I am privileged to journey on now, as I pursue my Psy. D. in Clinical and School Psychology at Roberts. I excitedly anticipate developing a greater depth of knowledge and level of competence to match the complexity and variety of the pervasive mental healthcare needs in Monroe County and beyond. The Roberts Wesleyan College Psy. D. program is giving me the expertise needed to be effective in service delivery across diverse contexts.

Learning with others in the Psy. D. program who came from undergraduate and graduate programs from other universities, I have a new appreciation for both my undergraduate and graduate experiences at Roberts.  My friends in the cohort are constantly commenting on how holistic their education at Roberts is. The depth and intentionality of our education here is unmatched. In our classes we are exposed to the gravity and stark truth of the great needs in the broken places we are entering as mental health professionals, but our professors help us approach our calling with steadfast hope and eyes ready to see not only the gaps and problems, but also the strengths and resilience that we all have as people made in the image of God. A Roberts education instills in us the conviction that education is a gift not meant to stop in our hands, but to instead be utilized to positively impact as many people as possible, reflecting the nature of a healing and redeeming God who loves sacrificially and unconditionally.

Going into practicum experiences and interacting with other professionals in the field, I have immense gratitude for how well my coursework and my professors have prepared me to tackle whatever is asked of me. I have additionally learned how to approach challenges as a professional, by watching the Psychology Department model tireless dedication in their work with flexibility, humor, grace and wisdom. Every time I talk with a professor, I know they are fully present in the moment, caring about what I’m feeling or questions I may have, regardless of countless other demands on their time and attention. They have spoken life into me and called out my strengths, instilling confidence and radiating hope. Professors in the Psychology Department at Roberts know how to infuse grace into their interactions with students, while simultaneously setting standards for excellence in the classroom and in the field. They have the ability to speak not only to what you are in the moment, but to what they know you can be, both one-on-one and as they lecture to the whole class. This intentionality in interaction makes all the difference in the world, and I always walk away blessed and more at peace, with a vision for not only how I want to be as a professional, but also for how I want to be as a person.