top of page
LeADERS Helped Me Develop Skills
Application of Skills
This upcoming fall I will be a doctoral candidate in Utah State University's Ph.D. in clinical and counseling psychology program. There are several career options available with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, including research, teaching, and clinical practice, with Ph.D. programs preparing students for all three. With everything that I have learned from LeADERS, I feel like I already have a headstart in the skills that encompass all three areas. For example, throughout my time as an undergraduate student, graduate students have helped me and mentored me, providing an example through leadership. Now that I will be a graduate student myself this upcoming fall, I realize that it will be my turn to take on that role, which the leadership component of LeADERS has prepared me for. I will also be expected to take on teaching responsibilities, beginning with a teaching assistant (TA) assistantship this upcoming fall. As I have already served as an undergraduate TA, I feel confident to take on this new, yet familiar role. What I have learned in my diversity course will also serve me well in interacting with and developing a better understanding of minority clients. Finally, the practice I have received through my supervised research project will have prepared me for starting my thesis and eventual dissertation.
Academic Field
Clinical psychology is a field that requires a well-developed understanding of human nature in order to provide effective therapy, as well as sharp critical thinking in order to produce solid empirical research. The ability to interact well with others is also important, as clinical psychologists are constantly engaging with clients, supervisees/supervisors, students, colleagues, and many more. LeADERS has provided me with skills that lend themselves all of these competencies, including leadership skills, teaching skills, awareness of diversity issues, and research skills. Thus, as I graduate from ODU I feel as if the experiences I have culminated throughout my time here will continue to live with me and express themselves through the skills I have developed.
Korena Klimczak co-presenting a poster at ODU's Undergraduate Research Symposium
bottom of page