Meet Marissa: Counseling psychology

I was specifically interested in this program because I knew that I wanted to specialize as a counseling therapist, and I felt WMU's program really fit all of my needs and what I was looking for. It's also an accredited university, which is super important going into my field.

When I was doing my research on different programs in the state, I was just drawn to WMU for multiple reasons. I really like the city of Kalamazoo and I was looking forward to exploring that. I had also heard a lot of good things about Western as a university, as a whole.

Next semester I will be working with Dr. Elizabeth Isidro at the McGinnis Reading Center and Clinic in the Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies. As a graduate assistant, I will be helping run the tutoring that happens on weeknights. And it's a great opportunity for undergraduate students in the Education Department to get that one on one experience with the kids. I'm super excited because it's a great program for local children that are in need of tutoring and also a great experience for the undergraduate students.

Working with Dr. Selena Protacio this semester as her graduate assistant has just been an incredible experience. She is so kind and understanding and sees the best in everyone.I'm so grateful that she helped me get in connection with Dr. Elizabeth Isidro at the McGinnis Reading Center and Clinic. Dr. Isidro is another great, great individual, and I'm super excited to work with both of them. They're kind, they're understanding and they want the best for everyone.

When it comes to working with the CECP faculty, I have had a very pleasant experience. I have felt considered as a human, you know, going through these graduate courses. They prioritize wellness, communication and are always there to listen to you and assist you in any way possible because they want to see you succeed. With that, I also feel pushed to continue learning and striving to be the best clinician I can be in the field.

I was blown away with the benefits that come with this particular graduate assistantship. I was able to have up to nine credits of tuition reimbursed to me as well as a stipend on top of that. It has really helped me with, you know, day to day finances. And it's great because I get an employee parking pass and as a student, that's a huge benefit. 

The process for finding graduate assistantships starts early in the semester. They are usually posted on the WMU Handshake page. It's super easy to apply through that. But yeah, it's definitely an early process, so I recommend starting it as soon as you can.

Many of the graduate assistantships are filled early in the semester and usually filled internally by someone that makes a connection within the program with the faculty.  So that's why it's really important to network with the faculty. And I have felt extremely comfortable doing that. That's how I got my first graduate assistantship just getting to know everyone and kind of putting my foot in the door with the faculty here and they want to help you.