School Psychology Program (MA/CAGS)

Get in Touch with Students—Click on the Email Addresses Below

YEAR 2 - CAGS

• Lydia Vliet lydia_vliet@mspp.edu
  Lydia Vliet is a second year School Psychology MA/CAGS student. She received her BS in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Denver in 2009. After graduation, she worked for two years as a paraprofessional in an affective needs classroom at an inner city high school in Denver, Colorado. This experience led her to want to work with children in a low-income population in a school setting, and to assist them through counseling.
  
  “The MSPP community is incredibly welcoming and supportive. The MA/CAGS program is ideal for the prospective school psychologist because it combines classroom lecture with real-world experience. I am confident that I made the right decision coming to MSPP, I could not imagine my graduate school experience any differently.”
  
  
• Stephanie Gray Stephanie_gray@mspp.edu
  Stephanie Gray is a second year student in the MA/CAGS School Psychology program. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from the College of Wooster in 2009. After commencement, she moved back home to Chicago where she co-taught a preschool class, worked in an after school program and volunteered as a case coach for a non-profit organization to provide support to children, volunteer foster families, and biological parents. She chose to attend MSPP because she believes that an integral part of the learning process lies in the holistic approach. Providing services to children, their familial support groups, and the community through a multi-faceted school-based system to provide the foundation for a positive future. These facets are emphasized within the MSPP community.
  
  “From the moment I joined the MSPP community I felt welcomed into a family. I am confident that I made the right career choice coming to MSPP. From day one, the program provides a unique blend of classroom and practical hands-on experience, giving you the opportunity to apply what you learn in a real world context.”
  
  

YEAR 3 - CAGS

• Jenny Duncan jenny_duncan@mspp.edu
  
  
• Erika Johnson erika_johnson@mspp.edu
  Erika was born and raised in Massachusetts. She applied to MSPP the fall after graduating from college. Within the school psychology community Erika has been involved in multiple organizations, including the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association (MSPA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Erika will be presenting her first-year research project at this year’s NASP Convention in Philadelphia. The project is titled Teacher Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Structured Recess Programming in an Urban Charter School. Erika has also had work featured on the MSPA website and their newsletter. She enjoys cooking, baking, snowboarding, and maintaining her personal blog about her kitchen adventures and life as a school psychologist.
  
  “MSPP is a community of individuals whose aim is to support you in all your endeavors as a professional, guiding you along the way and providing you with meaningful and insightful experiences.”
  
  
• Eden Gudonis eden_gudonis@mspp.edu
  Eden Gudonis is a third year MA/CAGS School Psychology student. After working in residential psychiatric hospitals, she became interested in school psychology as a way to do more preventative work, and to hopefully reach kids before they need hospitalization. Eden loves counseling and evaluating kids, getting to know them on a deeper level, and helping them transition through school. Outside of school, she enjoys many outdoor activities, including painting, traveling, and playing with her two dachshund puppies!
  
  "MSPP has been such a supportive environment. The teachers are knowledgeable, flexible, and want you to succeed, rather than just memorize rote information. With an intimate class size, my classmates and I are also very close, giving the school a warm family feeling (cheesy but true). I especially value the on-site training of working at various practicum sites. No textbook could replace that hands-on experience!"

Meet Our Student Bloggers

Susannah Hansen

I am a second-year school psychology student. I completed my undergraduate degree at Macalester College, with majors in Sociology and Spanish. In addition, I have a Master's degree in Public Affairs. I have worked as a language teacher in the U.S. and Latin America, and I speak Spanish and some Portuguese. My interests in school psychology include working with English Language Learners, better understanding the challenges of urban education, implementing preventative mental health programs, and fostering family/community/school collaborations.

> Click here to read Susannah’s School Psychology blog...

Shelby Thurston

I am a 26-year-old-School-Psychology-second-year. I live just outside of Boston with my fiance and my 2 year old (rescued) mutt, Maisy.

> Click here to read Shelby’s School Psychology blog...

Updated 10/29/12