Why FSU?

As someone who grew up in southwest Florida, I wanted to be closer to home and family. But I also knew that at FSU, I'd find a supportive and collaborative, as well as a competitive, environment to develop my research. I knew that in the Department of Psychology, I'd be able to work with an advisor who—in word and in funding—backed my research interests as well as my interdisciplinary training.

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

I love doing research! I've always loved using science to study the things that I'm passionate about, and graduate school affords me the training to be more sophisticated in going about that. I also know that earning a doctoral degree will open doors for me in my pursuit of a career in advocacy work through policy change.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

I study the impact of discrimination and social marginalization on mental health, particularly for transgender and gender-diverse individuals, people of color, and incarcerated individuals. I also have a focus on suicide prevention. This research is extremely timely right now, given the current legislative and cultural focus on systematically relegating these groups to the margins of society. I find that doing the research I do is validating for people who belong to these groups (myself included), and I hope that as I progress in my program of research and advocacy, it's able to be translated to concrete policy change, at least on the local level.

Career aspirations

I don't know exactly what my career will look like, but I know it will have to exist at the intersection of empirical research and policy development/analysis. Whether that involves working for a government body, a think tank, or an advocacy group, I'm not sure yet. But regardless of the setting, I know that my career will incorporate my background in clinical psychology with training in public health and public policy.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Make a fully informed decision. Grad school is hard and often doesn't pay you what you deserve, so make sure that you ask all the important questions when you're emailing, interviewing, and making the final decision. If you do decide to go to grad school, make sure that the environment strikes the balance of collaboration, competition, support, and constructive criticism that you need.