Student Profile: Emma Rizzo—Climbing the Career Ladder at William James College

Bachelor’s, Service Corps, and Now a Doctorate

Pursuing a career in behavioral health has long been the goal for Emma Rizzo. Growing up, deep involvement in caring for her grandmother cemented Rizzo’s desire to work with the geriatric population. Since embarking on her post-secondary education, career ladder opportunities at William James College have been integral to the Rhode Island resident’s incremental progression.

“My professors at Massachusetts Bay Community College had nothing but great things to say about the bachelor’s completion program at William James College,” recalls the 2023 graduate of the BS in Psychology and Human Services program. The chance to gain field experience from day one—with the added convenience of a placement in Rhode Island—compelled her to enroll. Rizzo remembers commencing her initial practicum placement with equal parts excitement and apprehension.

“My advisors helped match my interests with opportunities in the community, and I am so grateful for their guidance,” says Rizzo, who landed at The Bradley Schools in Providence as a per-diem classroom specialist. In this direct-support role, Rizzo was tasked with supporting children and adolescents whose psychiatric and behavioral needs could not be met in a public school setting.

“When bumps in the road arose, I had a supportive and accommodating team to call on,” she says, pointing to weekly sessions with peers—led by Katie Thomas, MS, Assistant Director of Field Education—where students were free to ask questions, discuss weekly journal entries, and seek input on practicum-related challenges.

Following graduation, entering a doctoral program seemed too big a leap. “When my advisor suggested I consider the Behavioral Health Service Corps^SM (BHSC), it sounded too good to be true,” recalls Rizzo.

The year-long, paid service opportunity seemed a logical stepping-stone. In her position as a care coordinator at Advocates, Rizzo assisted Medicaid patients with disabilities in various tasks from finding providers and acquiring medical equipment to coordinating in-home care.

In addition to earning a full-time salary with benefits, Rizzo’s service year came with scholarship opportunities and professional mentorship. Graduate courses in Lifespan Development and Psychopathology, designed to complement and enhance her time at Advocates, bolstered her candidacy for doctoral programs.

“Participating in the BHSC strengthened my application and gave me the confidence to continue my studies,” says Rizzo, who rose another rung on the career ladder in late August when she began the five-year PsyD in Clinical Psychology program. Her initial field placement at Mount Pleasant academy in Providence will allow the Rhode Island resident to remain rooted in her community and fulfill the program’s one-year requirement for working with kids.

“Each of my experiences at William James College has reassured me that working in the field of behavioral health is what I want to be doing.”

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