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Thank you for visiting! This is an archive of the 2020-21 edition.
By Laney Smith
You may be questioning what career path or college major you would like to pursue. If you have an interest in psychology and like to work with students, maybe a career in school psychology is the choice for you! Abby Smith, a school psychology major, will be telling you about what it’s like to be a school psychology major in college, and how and why she chose that career path. She will also give advice to get into the career path and explain what her experience was like.
First, here is some background. Abby Smith went to Wadsworth High School and graduated in 2015. She went to Virginia Tech for a year, but then transferred to Kent State University. She graduated in 2019. She is currently in graduate school at Cleveland State University. She will get her masters degree in May of 2021 and her specialist degree in May of 2022. Her title will be “Psy.S” and it will go after her name.
Now that we have some background information about Abby and what her school past has been like, here is what she had to say about her choices involving her career path and what school psychology is all about.
What was your specific major named?
My undergraduate was in psychology and my graduate was in school psychology.
What do you think is the most important part of being a school psychologist?
[I think it is] to be able to work together with parents, school staff, and especially students, to find the student’s strengths and weaknesses and provide support based on that.
What is the difference between a school counselor and a school psychologist, for those who don’t know?
A school counselor supports all students and has responsibilities, such as counseling, college and career guidance, school advising, and ensuring the overall wellbeing of the students. [However,] a school psychologist performs different assessments and uses those results to support individual students. They typically do not work with the entire student population, but may also be available to provide emotional support.
Why did you choose to work at the high school level, rather than the elementary or middle school level?
I am closer in age to those at the high school level, so I find it easier to talk to those students and relate to some of their issues. I think that being able to relate to the students makes them feel more comfortable and realize that they are not alone!
Why did you decide to become a school psychologist in the first place?
I have always enjoyed working with children and I believe that everyone deserves to receive the best education possible. I want to be able to help schools provide that for their students and make school more enjoyable.
What advice would you give to any students wanting to pursue a career in school psychology?
Take advantage of whatever opportunities come your way! I have had the pleasure of working for a daycare as well as an Autism Treatment Center, which prepared me for my future career. I also worked for a research lab during my undergrad, which helped steer me in the direction of the field of school psychology. Being exposed to the many different sides of psychology helped confirm that school psychology was the field for me!
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