Student Ambassador: Emily Rowland

Hello prospective students!

My name is Emily, and I am a student in the School Psychology MA/CAGS program, with a concentration in Global Mental Health. I currently live and grew up in Winchester, MA. I graduated from Stonehill College with a BA in Psychology.

During my time at Stonehill College, I gained experience working in schools, and found this to be very enjoyable. Then, after graduating from college, I spent two years as a live-in counselor at a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities. As I gained experience in the field, I learned more about school psychology, and realized that it was the perfect combination of my passions of working with children and people with disabilities.

As I began my search for school psychology graduate programs, William James immediately stood out to me. I knew that I wanted to attend a graduate school with small class sizes and supportive faculty. William James has provided just that, the small class sizes have provided me the opportunity to be a very active participant of classes, and able to build strong connections with both my classmates and professors. In addition to the small, supportive environment, I was drawn to William James College because of the emphasis on experiential learning. Right from the beginning of the first year, students are placed at a practicum site and begin benefitting from hands-on learning. It has been really great to learn about a topic in class, and then be able to experience it hands on at my site.

In addition to my school psychology classes at William James, I am also a Serving the Underserved Fellow in the Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health and am completing classes within the Global Mental Health concentration. I feel as if these experiences have truly broadened my level of cultural competency and has led me to make connections with students and faculty members from other programs. In terms of working, I currently work at the William James library as a work study and will be a teacher’s assistant next semester.

For incoming students beginning their graduate school journey, my advice is to utilize the support offered here at William James. The faculty members within school psychology, as well as members of offices such as the Academic Resource Center are always more than willing to provide guidance and support to students. Additionally, I advise incoming students to lean upon peers in their cohort, as they are likely also experiencing similar challenges. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to learn more about my experiences.