Betsy Cespedes is a bilingual mental health counseling graduate student at Fordham University with over 10 years of experience supporting youth and families in high-need communities. She is a school culture leader in the Bronx and is committed to advancing equitable, culturally responsive mental health care for underserved populations.

Paige is a second-year doctoral student in School Psychology at Fordham University. Her work explores heterogeneity within autism spectrum disorder to advance equitable, inclusive, and comprehensive care, particularly for individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions. She aims to strengthen her skills in delivering evidence-based services to diverse children and families.

Hannah Feng is a second-year counseling psychology doctoral student. A child of Chinese immigrants, she is passionate about expanding mental health access to minoritized youth and families. In 2023, Hannah supported a Fulbright-funded project in Victoria, BC that sought to deliver youth-led psychoeducation to immigrant and refugee youth. Hannah is excited to gain culturally competent clinical experience and serve youth in schools. 

Shiva Mohsenian is a Ph.D. student in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University. She earned B.A. degrees in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Michigan and has experience working internationally. Her research focuses on cross-cultural considerations in assessment with children, and she is committed to advancing equity-focused mental health care. 

Ava Gelling is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University. She earned her B.S. in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has experience supporting children and adolescents through advocacy, peer and crisis counseling, and child-focused prejudice reduction intervention research. She is passionate about youth mental health and the role of social media in development.

Julie has 20+ years working experience with students and families. She is committed to supporting the mental health and development of diverse student populations. Her interests include immigrant family development, the impact of physical illness on family systems, and bilingual, bicultural identity formation. Her goals are to serve the underrepresented and underserved communities of NYC.

Alexa Garcia is a rising third-year PhD student in School Psychology at Fordham University. She earned her BA in Psychology from St. John's University. As a Latina scholar, she is committed to supporting marginalized students' social, emotional, and academic well-being through culturally responsive practice. Her research examines ethnic-racial identity development to inform equitable school and community practices. She seeks continued growth through a social justice and advocacy lens. 

Sonya Olga Zhevnerov (she/her) is currently a Master's degree student in the School Counseling and Personnel Services program at Fordham University, and previously graduated from Pace University with her Bachelor's degree in psychology. A first-generation Ukrainian-American with a background in vocal music, Sonya is deeply passionate about working with students of all ages within an educational setting, and is currently teaching musical theater at a non-profit performing arts company located in her hometown of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. She plans to work with LGBTQIA+ youth, bilingual children of immigrants, and students from all walks of life who are in need of socioemotional support & psychoeducation.

Sambridhi is a graduate student studying School Counseling at Fordham. She earned her BA in Psychology and a BFA in Graphic Design from Boston University in 2023. Sambridhi’s professional goals are to enhance and implement culturally competent counseling services to meet the social-emotional needs of marginalized and underrepresented student populations. 

Eve is a rising third-year doctoral student in School Psychology at Fordham University and holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. John's University. Eve works as an Extended Learning Time tutor through Fordham's Center for Educational Partnerships, providing individualized academic and social-emotional support to K-1 students. Eve’s research interests lie in improving parent support and training for neurodiverse populations, and she is dedicated to adopting a culturally responsive and strengths-based approach in both her research and practice.

Yushu Huang is a first-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University. He holds a B.A. in Psychological Science from Vassar College and brings interdisciplinary training spanning neuropsychological assessment, geriatric research, and emergency medicine. He is a bilingual (English/Mandarin) clinician-in-training with a commitment to serving culturally diverse populations.

Jessica is a third-year school psychology PhD student at Fordham. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Previously, Jessica worked as a psychometrist at a lifespan neuropsychology hospital clinic in Boston. Her current research at Fordham focuses on exploring resilience in preschoolers of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Ariana looks forward to future exploring her educational and professional experiences in the school counseling field alongside her community at Fordham University. With a prior background in media, she has developed strong communication, organization, and problem solving skills, as well as the ability to build trust and maintain relationships across different perspectives. She is a native New Yorker, with hopes to work collaboratively with young individuals and families in developing their self identity, value setting, and post secondary planning.

Emma Eklof is a first year school counseling graduate student at Fordham University. Emma received her B.S. in French and English at Indiana University, and also attended the University of Provence, Aix-en-Provence. For the past 6 years, Emma has worked as a tutor and mentor at Hermiona Education, predominately with International students, teaching writing and language skills with a focus on neurodivergent students and students with special needs. Emma decided to pursue her graduate degree in  school counseling in the hopes of transferring her skillset to serve students in a more equitable setting. 

Daniel Regan is a first-year Advanced Certificate Student in School Psychology at Fordham GSE. He received his undergraduate degree in 2023 from SUNY Geneseo and worked as a Research Assistant for Brown University Health, focusing on the integration of modern technology into weight loss plans, before beginning at Fordham in Fall 2025. He wants to utilize the skills he learns as a graduate student at Fordham to serve the most vulnerable populations found in our public schools. 

Aidan Carter is a First-Year Advanced Certificate in School Psychology student. He completed his B.A. in Psychology and Master in Communication at Clark University. Aidan's experience working as a case manager in group homes informs his research interests in diagnostic variance across social determinants of health, especially socioeconomic status.  

Ish is a second-year doctoral candidate in School Psychology at Fordham. She holds a bachelor's in Psychology and Women's Gender Studies from the University of Delaware. Ish's professional goals are to advance access to culturally responsive, evidence-based mental health services in high-need schools. She has experience in applying assessment knowledge and research to support diverse learners, with a particular interest in supporting students with learning differences and developmental disabilities.

Katherine Maydwell is a first-year school counseling graduate student at Fordham University. Katherine received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a specialization in Gender, Race, and Politics from American University in Washington, DC. After graduation, Katherine worked as a Farm Educator at Red Gate Farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts, where she taught students from all over how to work together to take care of the animals, garden, and forest. As a school counselor, Katherine hopes to help students foster community at school and create a positive, safe environment for student life.  

Rose has worked with children for more than a decade and is excited to bring her passions of equity and social-emotional well-being with her to DOE schools with the help of the MHSPD program. Her goal is to continue working with this target population after receiving her Ed.M.

Tyana Glaves is a rising third-year PhD student in School Psychology at Fordham University and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clark Atlanta University. Tyana is committed to promoting equity and supporting the academic and emotional well-being of minority students. Her research examines digital games for second-language vocabulary acquisition.

Sam is a rising third-year School Psychology PhD student at Fordham. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from McGill University. Sam works as a Literacy Tutor, providing multisensory literacy and phonics instruction to high-needs schools in the New York City Department of Education. His current research focuses on exploring the links between cognitive development and cross-ethnic friendships in middle childhood. Sam is dedicated to advancing equitable psychological services and connecting with local communities to carry out culturally responsive practices.

My name is Jordan Dean, and I’m a first-year student in the Advanced Certificate, School Psychology program at Fordham. Growing up in Jamaica, Queens, inspired my future to support children in communities with limited mental health resources. I enjoy sketching in Central Park and attending events in NYC, as I believe in exploring the rich opportunities our city has to offer.

Claire McKittrick is a doctoral student in the school psychology program. She is so grateful for the opportunity to join the MHSPD Cohort 4 this Fall. Her research interests involve increasing access to early intervention services. She is currently leading a research project investigating preschool teachers’ confidence and competence when discussing developmental progress with parents. The goal of her study is to challenge the medical model that positions primary care physicians as the gatekeepers to Early Intervention referrals, and to empower educators to be developmental advocates. Claire is also interested in education policy, assisting Dr. Annie George Puskar on her New York City Early Intervention to Special Education Preschool Transition Project, funded by the Spencer Vision Grant. She has worked as a preschool teacher for over 3 years and is committed to working with families and their children to ensure they get the resources they need. She is excited to continue her training in the MHSPD program at an elementary school during the Fall of 2026. 

TJ Killian is a second-year Advanced Certificate Student in School Psychology at Fordham GSE. He received B.A. degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Bucknell University and has experience working with children in a variety of settings. He has worked as an aide in public schools and has now transitioned to teaching after school classes in New York City.