I am interested in being a school psychologist for a variety of reasons. First, I believe that my background in working with children and families, and my B.A. in psychology are essential combinations that will be helpful in my pursuit of the degree. Second, I would like to work with children in a variety of educational situations, such as those in need of special education classes and those in talented and gifted programs. Third, I believe it is essential to work directly with the entire family system, not just the child. The child's progress depends on the home environment and the academic environment equally. This academic environment includes all professions (i.e., teachers, school counselors and psychologists, school administrators, and school nurses). Each professional must utilize his/her skills and training to determine the best course of action for the child and how it will interact with each and every other discipline. Unfortunately, many times, there seems to be poor communication between these individuals. I would like to be involved in helping to facilitate this necessary interaction between disciplines. Finally, my areas of interest are in brain injury rehabilitation; psychosocial development of children, especially self-esteem; and learning disabilities. I believe that becoming a school psychologist would be the best way to continue my work with children and their families while having an impact on the educational system.

The school psychology program at XXX would allow me to utilize both my knowledge in psychology and my affinity toward children simultaneously. I have always had a strong interest in working with children. I began babysitting in late elementary school and continued through college. These children were of a variety of ages and from different family compositions (e.g., single-parent households, two-parent households, and stepfamilies). The summer before my junior year in college and for the next three years, I was a part-time nanny for a 10-year-old girl who was diagnosed with ADHD. I did this on a full-time basis during the summers. This job gave me an understanding of the effects of medication (Ritalin) on behavior. These experiences gave me a strong background in working with a diverse group of children.

I also have an extensive training in working with local agencies. The spring semester of my sophomore year, I began volunteering at the Cedar Valley Hospice for approximately 20 hours a month. I was trained in the following areas: Patient/Family, Grief, and Cedar AIDS Support System (CASS) services. Through my work at the CASS, I was responsible for making contacts with a variety of other agencies on the behalf of my clients, such as the Black Hawk County Health Department, Operation Threshold, and the Cedar Valley NAMES Project. In this capacity, I did office work, I was a buddy to an HIV positive individual, and I did face-to-face education panels in local school and community settings. I was also extensively involved in training future buddies. It was during this time period that I completed the American Red Cross course work for certification as an HIV/AIDS educator. In this capacity, I have been a guest speaker in several elementary school and college courses about HIV/AIDS. The following year, I completed an internship for my Practicum in Psychology course at the Cedar Valley Hospice. The course work required only 4 hours a week; however, Hospice required 20 hours a week. Because I really wanted to continue my valuable education in this area, I was willing to dedicate more time than was required by the course to fulfill this responsibility. During this internship, I worked with the Grief Support Services, primarily working on the cases which dealt with HIV/AIDS and dysfunctional families. During this time period, I also assisted in the Youth Support Services when needed. I was also involved in the transition of the structure of the Youth Support Services from Amanda the Panda to Katie and Quincy Koala. Currently, I am still a volunteer at Hospice. As per federal requirements, all volunteers must undergo an annual review. At my recent review, my supervisor only had positive things to say about my abilities.

I am presently employed full-time at Exceptional Persons, Inc. as part of their Support Living Staff. This job has given me valuable experience in working with a diverse population of adults and children and their families. I work primarily with traumatically brain injured adults. However, I do occasionally work at the Porter Group Home for children. I have also worked with individuals who are mentally retarded, mentally ill, or dual diagnosed. One of the many facets of my job is advocating for the consumers and their rights. Most of my work focuses on assisting these individuals in daily living skills to become more independent. I believe that my background has given me a solid foundation on which to build a successful career as a school psychologist. My objectives as a school psychologist would be: (a) to work with a variety of children and their families in an education setting; (b) to work as part of an interdisciplinary team in helping to determine the best course of action for children in need; and (c) to help children build their self-esteem. This is particularly important for children in need of special assistance.