Psychological Science and Counselor Education Archives - è��ͷ�� University

Keanna Caldwell ’16

è��ͷ�� University — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 00:08:29 +0000

Completes two terms with AmeriCorps

“If you are looking for somewhere you can grow spiritually and have meaningful and impactful bonds, è��ͷ�� is the place to find it.”

Keanna Caldwell, a 2016 alumna of è��ͷ�� University, was raised by a single mother who taught her the value of serving others and the importance of community. “I don’t know where I would have been if not for the people who supported me all my life,” shared Caldwell, a native of Hendersonville, N.C. “I grew up in a family who was very service oriented. Both of my grandmothers were active in civil rights, so I always knew service was going to be a big component of whatever I did.”

When she started her college search, she only looked at Christian schools. Her mother suggested è��ͷ��, and Caldwell discovered GWU had everything on her list. “è��ͷ�� was checking off all the boxes for me,” she said. “It was small, had the sense of community and Christian character.”

Once on campus, she started to find her place in the GWU community. She became involved in different organizations and helped to start a Campus Civitan club, serving as vice president. The focus of Campus Civitan is helping those with developmental disabilities and engaging in service projects. She also participated in GWU’s human-trafficking awareness club, Release the Captives, and was a member of FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians United in Service), a campus ministry involving teams of GWU students who visit local churches to provide programs for youth groups.

Through her involvement in these clubs and participation in her classes, she developed lasting friendships. “If you are looking for somewhere you can grow spiritually and have meaningful and impactful bonds, è��ͷ�� is the place to find it,” she observed. “You will get the nurturing you need. You will find a mentor and develop close relationships with people.”

Caldwell majored in psychology and minored in American Sign Language (ASL). Since graduating, she has worked two terms with Americorps. Her first term was with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “It was the most life-changing experience I have ever had,” she asserted. “I did a range of things, but the most impactful was disaster recovery in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. It was some of the most brutal work I ever did, but it was definitely fulfilling.”

In her second term, she is a school engagement coordinator in Asheville, N.C. She serves as a mentor and a tutor, helps in classrooms, and is the volunteer coordinator and facilitator for an afterschool program.

When her second term is finished, she plans to pursue a master’s degree at the Institute for Global Learning in Portland, Oregon. The degree will prepare her to manage a non-profit organization. Her ultimate goal is to work with children who have intellectual disabilities. “I’ve always wanted to work with children, because I’ve never liked seeing kids suffer, especially since I was from a difficult background,” Caldwell affirmed. “Whatever I can do to prevent other kids from suffering, that’s what I want to do.”

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Maya Stewart ’17

è��ͷ�� University — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 23:48:27 +0000

Psychology degree helps Maya Stewart ‘17 manage her bakery business

“There are so many skills you learn as a psychology major that translate to everyday life.”

Maya Stewart ’17 took several classes and even read course descriptions in the è��ͷ�� University Catalog before deciding to major in psychology. Taking different courses helped her determine her strengths and interests. When she decided to open her own bakery, she realized that her GWU professors had prepared her for success.

“Thank you, Dr. (David) Carscaddon, for the rigorous classes that forced me to manage my time well,” affirmed Stewart, who lives in Stanley, N.C. “For social skills and understanding how people operate—thank you, Dr. (Iva) Naydenova and Dr. (Sharon) Webb, for your classes that prepared me to work with people in so many capacities. There are so many skills you learn as a psychology major that translate to everyday life.”

Her professors also taught life lessons by their actions. When Stewart experienced a difficult time in her life, she was not alone. “I had some health problems, and my professors were understanding, patient, and cared about my health,” she shared. “The community of students, professors, and other staff walked with me through the ups and downs of that time in my life.”

She chose to attend GWU, because friends from church told her about the Christian atmosphere and the professors who were invested in their academic and personal lives. “I was very involved in Campus Ministries United (CMU),” Stewart related. “It was important to me to attend a Christian school so that I could be surrounded by scripture, truth, and community in this manner.”

Stewart’s bakery grew from a hobby and her desire to serve people. “The timing was right for me to pursue this full time, so I ran with it,” she reflected. “I love getting to work with clients to create the perfect accent to their events. Birthday parties, baby showers, etc. can be important events to commemorate new life stages, and it is such an honor to be in on the intimate details of my clients’ lives while they celebrate.”

Her specialty is intricately-decorated cookies and she also makes muffins. On average she bakes about five dozen muffins a week and 15 dozen decorated cookies. On holidays her orders increase to as many as 23 dozen decorated cookies. The sweet treats are available at her shop, 101 East 1st St., Lowell, N.C.

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Kelsi M. Williams ’18

è��ͷ�� University — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 23:26:54 +0000

GWU Professors helped Psychology alumna develop skills to pursue law degree

“My (GWU) professors taught me to be diligent in my studies, to be patient with myself, and to dig deeper when it seemed like I had hit my limit.”

Inspired by her work with special needs and underprivileged children, Kelsi Marie Williams, of Lincolnton, N.C., came to è��ͷ�� University to earn a degree in psychology. “It broke my heart to see the living situations of children not even 10 minutes from my house,” she related. “That’s when the desire began to grow in me to be a child advocate. I also hope to be heavily involved in ministry, helping orphanages and homeless shelters.”

As she worked on her bachelor’s degree, Williams became more sure of her next step. Before graduating from GWU in 2018, she was accepted to the law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed on the larger campus, Williams has been confident in her abilities because of her GWU experience. “Law school is a completely different world than I expected it would be, but I have never once felt like I did not belong here,” Williams shared. “I know I will be successful because my GWU professors helped me develop the skills to be the best that I can be. My (GWU) professors taught me to be diligent in my studies, to be patient with myself, and to dig deeper when it seemed like I had hit my limit.”

Besides the classes she took at è��ͷ�� for her major and minors in music and Spanish, Williams participated in a collaborative research project that further prepared her for graduate school. She and a team presented at the Alpha Chi Honor Society national conference. The GWU team took first place and a prize of $5,000 for their presentation on “The Psychology of Oceanic Climate Change.”

The opportunity gave her experience in conducting a scholarly investigation. Again, her GWU professors provided guidance and support. “Their passion for their jobs and their students always amazed me, and I am grateful that I was privileged to learn from them and build relationships with them,” Williams affirmed.

She’s fascinated at the connections she finding between law and psychology. “I believe my psychology major prepared me not only to represent the law, but also to represent people. Everyone is different and unique, and psychology showed me so many wonderful things about humanity and its complexity,” Williams reflected. “I know that I will come face-to-face with the reality of my responsibility to represent a ‘black and white’ law, but I never want to lose my compassion or passion for helping and serving a complex humanity.”

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