Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology and Instructor for Schulz Experimental Psychology Lab
I’m a first-generation college student who came to UT from central California. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University Bakersfield and then my master’s degree in experimental psychology from California State University San Marcos.
Originally, I didn’t plan to go to college. I worked various jobs until my mid-20s before realizing that I wanted to pursue something that I was passionate about, but I didn’t know what that was. What I did know was that an education would be a good choice regardless of what I wanted to do. Shortly after, I enrolled at Bakersfield Community College where I explored a variety of majors including Digital Arts, Fine Arts, Biology, English, and eventually Psychology. While taking an introductory psychology course, I discovered my interest in mental health. Taking this class is what led me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in psychology at California State University Bakersfield.
Soon after transferring to the university, I took a biological psychology course where I was exposed to research for the first time. I immediately knew that I wanted to gain research experience and the professor who taught the course happened to have a neuroscience lab. I joined her lab as an undergraduate research assistant and cultivated an interest in early-life risk factors for psychiatric disorders in adulthood. I continued exploring this interest during my master’s program at California State University San Marcos and now here at UT with Dr. Kalynn Schulz.
My own college experience is what helped me shape how I teach. When I first started college, I often found myself grappling with complex concepts in my classes and in the lab, which pushed me to discover my own learning style and find creative ways to teach myself new material. Doing so built my confidence which I hope to do for all students whether in the lab or in the classroom. Although I haven’t taught a lecture-based course yet, I enjoy teaching lab skills and working with students in courses for which I’ve been a graduate teaching assistant.
I always keep in mind that students have different learning styles and when I teach a new lab skill or go over a concept taught in class, I incorporate different ways of explaining the procedure or subject. I use analogies, approach topics from different angles, draw diagrams, and even ask students what I can do to be the most helpful to them. A teaching skill that I continue to work at is finding creative ways to explain detailed concepts in the simplest way that will foster a student’s understanding.
For example, I use the analogy of the number of chocolate chips in a cookie to explain the concept of cell density to students and why brain tissue volume matters. Similarly, I’ve used my hand (cell body), fingers (dendrites), and arm (axon) to teach the anatomy of a neuron to psychology 110 and 301 students. I’ve also explained inhibitory neuronal transmission with comic style drawings to students in our lab. Explaining science-related concepts in this way may sound simplistic, but it works.
There are different ways in which I can gauge whether I’ve made a positive impact on student learning, and the most rewarding to me is when students continue to ask questions. When it comes to learning about a new topic or skill, I think there’s a lot of pressure on students to understand things quickly and with few questions. If a student continues to ask questions, that tells me two things: first, they feel comfortable enough to identify gaps in their understanding, and second, they feel comfortable with me as a mentor to let me know that they need more guidance. This is rewarding because I want them to see me as someone who is always willing to help, and to do so without judgment. By striving to be an open and supportive mentor, I hope to contribute positively to their academic growth, success, and confidence.