School Counseling PHD Personal Statement

As the child of immigrants from the Pacific Islands who now has 15 years of experience in providing mental health care to the people of Florida, I am deeply concerned about the special mental health challenges facing immigrants to our state from other parts of the world. Now more than ever, with antiimmigrant sentiment raging throughout the country, the mental health pressures on immigrants living in precarious situations is increasing. I want to help. Florida State University at Tallahassee is my first choice among doctoral programs because of your commitment to helping the underserved by providing affordable care to those troubled and suffering individuals that live in our communities regardless of the color of their skin or their immigration status.

I hope to be selected to complete the combined PHD program in Counseling/School Counseling, since I plan to always stay engaged with our educational system as well as practicing. I finished my undergraduate studies at FSU Tallahassee, and I adore the academic community and camaraderie. I would have applied sooner but we were struck by Hurricane Michael which caused a lot of damage to our community. My mentor Dr. Kelley Kline speaks highly of the faculty at FSU Tallahassee especially Dr. Joiner and his work in ADHD.  Dr. Marshall, my adviser at Troy is also writing me an LOR. I've presented at conferences with both Dr. Marshall and Dr. Klein. I also assisted Dr. Kline with DIS/ research concerning the attractiveness of hair length, helping her to get data and input. She was on Good Morning America presenting her findings.

I first earned an associate’s degree in pre-medicine, and I have a lot of experience in the health care field as an administrator, receptionist, and medical assistant at my mother's practice. I also do evaluations for ADHD, anxiety, and depression. We have helped several adults with undiagnosed ADHD who were struggling with work and family life. Florida faces acute social challenges even more so than other parts of America, because climate change driven natural catastrophes are increasingly prevalent, making the lives of everyone more difficult, especially those individuals who struggle to survive financially, of whom a disproportionate number are recent immigrants whose presence and labor is not wanted or appreciated by most Floridians. This makes their struggle much more difficult, and the toll on their emotional health much more devastating. I want to support their struggles with mental health in these especially difficult times.

In addition to specializing in mental health care for the underserved, people of color, recent immigrants, etc., I also want to specialize in the mental health challenges that accompany the natural disasters plaguing my home state. When I opened the door on the morning of October 11, 2018, the world looked as if it had been hit by a nuclear bomb. Michael, a category 5 hurricane, one of the largest in US history, had finally cleared over Bay County, Florida after battering us for hours. People wandered aimlessly through the landscape of bent and broken trees. It took days for the volunteer workers to clear the snapped power poles blocking the roads and patients started coming into my mother’s family practice clinic, where we had chosen to shelter. With no electricity or running water, we went to work. We comforted patients who sobbed as they described how they lost everything and no longer had homes. They wondered how they would ever rebuild; we did too.

This natural disaster accentuated our need for more ample and accessible psychological services in my community. In my private practice I seek to advocate for my clients to have an improved quality of life behaviorally and psychologically and I share FSU’s passion for reaching underserved regions and underrepresented populations.  I look forward to becoming a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Florida building upon my extensive experience as part of a treatment team consisting of counselors, psychiatrists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, case managers, and peer specialists focused on children, adolescents, and their families.  Counseling in the aftermath of an Act of God is challenging. Our office building was destroyed, and we would meet clients outside in the community surrounded by flat tires and looting.

My multifaceted research experience has been in social and counseling psychology, and I have presented at multiple conferences in Florida. I also have experience as a teaching assistant and guest lecturer. I want to do research concerning the utilization of empirically backed assessments in diagnosis and treatment planning. I also earned a minor in Criminology from FSU, and I look forward to further study into the psychology of deviant behavior. For the past fifteen years I have treated many patients with a broad variety of issues, most notably clients with ADHD, who have told me that a combination of assessment, counseling and medication helps them to manage their lives. I look forward to further research in ADHD, anxiety, and suicidal behavior under the guidance of Dr. Deborah J. Ebener and Dr. Martin Swanbrow Becker. I have helped teenagers and adults explore career options, so I am also most keen to learn from Dr. Deb Osborn.

I also hope to do research concerning mental health issues in our native Guam and among immigrants from Guam in America. COVID-19 saw an increase in anti-Asian/Pacific Islander sentiment resulting in increased levels of discrimination and violence. Having worked as a licensed mental health counselor in a non-profit community agency and at a family practice has shown me the need for more Pacific Islander providers, services, and personalized treatment. Now more than ever it is important to foster understanding and give representation to diverse voices. Thank you for your consideration.