ADRIENNE VILLAGOMEZ Recipient of a Carol and William Malloy Travel Award Ph.D. in School Psychology Class of 2016 Allentown, Pennsylvania
Why I chose the UNC School of Education The abundance of resources at UNC and the surrounding area related to research and training in neurodevelopmental disabilities made UNC a great fit for me. The School of Education, in conjunction with affiliations with the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and other research and training sites, provided my first opportunities to engage in graduate-level research, practicum opportunities and advocacy efforts.
My experience I’ve had a range of unique experiences through the School of Education. I spent my first year in a research assistantship with Dr. Barbara Wasik, focusing on family literacy, home visiting and classroom observation through a graduate school merit assistantship. During my second year, I worked as an America Reads Coach Mentor at SCALE (Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education), supporting undergraduate tutors in literacy tutoring at a local elementary school. This year, I’ll be spending my summer in Porto, Portugal, to engage in research through Dr. Rune Simeonsson’s Transatlantic Consortium on Global Education and Developmental Studies.
How the Malloy Travel Award has benefited me This year’s National Association of School Psychology Annual Convention was hosted in Seattle and the Carol and William Malloy Travel Award made it feasible for me to give my first professional presentation at a national conference.
My career goals As a future school psychologist, I hope to improve the quality of life for children and youth and their families by being an advocate and resource. My long-term career goals include contributing to and generating change in the delivery of services within our education system through advocacy for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
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