Marjorie Ramos graduated in May 2022 with her Master of Science degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Addictions. She chose PG because she needed a flexible online institution that would enable her to juggle the roles of mothering 2 young children and navigating moving, due to her husband serving as an active-duty Colombian military member. 

Marjorie never felt alone while pursuing her education, despite the challenges of balancing her varied roles as mother and wife. She enjoyed her courses because they were well organized, and her faculty were encouraging. She is currently a mental health provider, and because she is bilingual is able to see clients in both Spanish and English. She earned a Psi Chi scholarship and after serving as the Psi Chi President, is part of the Psi Chi NICE (Network for International Collaborative Exchange) Committee. 

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Kevin Cornine graduated in May 2021 with his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology. He chose PG because of the availability of information and described the PG staff as "beyond helpful" and the education as "really accessible." 

Kevin's favorite parts of his courses were the energetic professors and seminars, which allowed him to reinforce his learning. 

He was promoted to Lieutenant Firefighter/Paramedic with Highlands County Fire Rescue. Kevin is assigned the busiest engine in the county and also oversees the busiest medic unit in the county. He described the concepts learned in industrial organizational psychology as applicable every day. He uses what he learned during debriefing after stressful calls and knows how to adjust his leadership styles to match the environmental contingencies. 

Kevin is responsible for fire suppression/life safety tactics and ensuring pre-hospital care is performed to organizational standards. Furthermore, Kevin described that obtaining his degree has also had a positive impact on his family, and supporting his 3 daughters during stressful times. 

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Laqondra is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Psychology with a concentration in Addictions. She returned to PG after earning her BA in Psychology at Purdue Fort Wayne. She has always had a passion to help others, and PG allowed her to attend school while juggling other demands.

Laqondra described the PG faculty as “nothing but amazing,” stating that she always feels supported. She currently works as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and hopes to begin working with underserved populations in the addiction field when she begins her practicum later this year. 

Laqondra decided to apply for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors after PG shared information regarding the scholarship. She was nervous to complete the application as it required references, an essay, and a personal statement video. She was selected for the 2022 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors! Along with this immense accomplishment, she will be awarded $15,000 from the NBCC Foundation.

The NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors will provide her with opportunities to network, grow, learn, share, and expand her visions for what she wants to contribute to the counseling profession and to the world. The main purpose of this fellowship is to maximize her potential in the field of addiction counseling. She will be traveling to the Washington D.C., metro area to begin her fellowship year by attending the 2022 Bridging The Gap Symposium.

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Undergraduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Malinda Richardson graduated in March 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Addictions. She returned to PG in August 2020 to earn her master’s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology. She discussed that her friends and relatives battled addiction, and at the age of 44 she wanted to pursue a change in her life, leading her to Purdue University Global.

Malinda discussed that the PG faculty understood that she was working full-time while also juggling being a mother, wife and student. She stated that the faculty understood that “life is not perfect.” She enjoyed being able to use her current knowledge and incorporate it into what she was learning.

Malinda is currently the Director of Residential Services for a not for profit agency. In addition to helping her financially, she discussed that her degree allowed her to be promoted to her current position.

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Undergraduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Brandi Williams graduated from the Bachelor of Science in Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis in August 2020. She is a certified Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) for Centria Autism in Georgia. Brandi is working at her own pace, mastering her one-on-one skills while working with clients who have various developmental delays and challenges. Once she feels confident, her plans include pursuing her master's degree in ABA and she is also considering Criminal Psychology. 

Brandi experienced some challenges along the way when she and her family were directly impacted by Hurricane Irma.  After taking a leave of absence, she found returning to school challenging.  She encourages other students to be as transparent as possible with their academic advisor. 

Brandi was determined to excel in her degree program. Working with her peers provided her with a diverse learning experience, which she now brings to her career as an RBT. Brandi said that her experience at PG allowed her to discover her strengths. She feels that she knows more about herself because of Purdue University Global and is proud to have chosen PG.

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Undergraduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Clara Jane Swald recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Psychology with a concentration in Industrial Organizational Psychology.

Of her Purdue Global experience, Clara has shared that it was valuable having professors who cared, listened, and put her at ease when she was anxious about a class. She enjoyed the real life examples that her professors provided as well as the opportunity to do research and think critically.  Clara names Dr. Mary Bruce as a particularly supportive professor during her statistics course. She also enjoyed all of her IO concentration courses within PG’s Graduate Psychology Department, highlighting Dr. Casey DeBruyn and Dr. Robert Richardson as favorite instructors.

Clara chose PG so she would not have to take additional time away from her family in traveling back and forth to classes. She also liked that PG is associated with Purdue University.

Clara’s journey toward her degree was not without challenges.  She has two children and the challenges of scheduling around family life. She was also diagnosed with cancer during her final term of courses. She had her first round of Chemo after her first comprehensive exam. By focusing only on events that added to wellness along with relying on her family network for support, she was able to persist and achieve her goals.

Clara comes from a customer service background. Her coursework prepared her to work within her chosen field of Human Resources with many opportunities for growth. She feels confident and prepared in the areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as hiring/retention, employee engagement, and motivation in the workplace. She currently works as a Human Resources Generalist and loves her job and the company for which she works!

Congratulations to Clara! We thank her for sharing her story of success with all of us!

By Kimberly Jurowski, Assistant Academic Department Chair, Graduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Teressa Brown  graduated in July of 2021 with her Bachelors of Science of Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently works as a Lead RBT for Elite Healthcare Group Inc, in Winston-Salem NC, where she completed her supervised hours to sit for the BCaBA exam that she will take next month. In her current position, she assists the BCBA's update/modify client behavior programs and trains oncoming and current staff to improve their teaching methods using ABA skills. 

She chose PG because of the convenience, and after speaking with an advisor, she was set on Purdue Global. Her goals were to go back to school, earn a degree at her own pace, and graduate. She recalls that the workload was intense at times, but based on the design she retained the information and was able to apply herself to the best of her abilities. 

She enjoyed having instructors that respond quickly to emails and being able to apply what she learned into her role as an RBT that she began in July of 2020. Her challenges were being a new mom and balancing work and school. 

All of her ABA courses had an impact on her current role. Her favorite course was an introduction to ASD in children, because she works with autistic kids as an RBT, and it is something she truly became passionate about. 

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Undergraduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Shakala Bentley graduated in February of 2021 with her Bachelors of Science of Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis. She chose Purdue University Global because she liked the curriculum. She describes the PG faculty as “awesome to work with.” She discussed that anytime she had an issue, faculty were there to assist and answer any questions she had. Shakala described the courses as “challenging and very informative,” stating “courses should challenge you to think outside the box and push you out of your comfort zone.” 

Shakala is currently serving full- time in the US Army as a Unit Supply Specialist, and is on a special duty assignment as a Recruiter. Once she retires from the Army, she hopes to open her own private practice as a counselor to help those in need. 

Shakala explained that obtaining a degree has impacted her life for the better. Her degree has given her the means to set an example for her son, and to show him that anything is possible. Shakala stated “Being a first generation college graduate in my immediate family has made my family proud.”

By Bridget Rivera, Academic Department Chair, Undergraduate Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences