Meet our students
Why do our students choose the University of Dayton School Psychology program? Explore their insights below, along with details about their research interests.
Courtney Bockbrader
- About Me: I love working in the schools and getting hands-on experience every day, and that opportunity is a big reason why I chose UD. I also love the supportive environment that the professors and other students create here.
- Research Interests: family-school partnerships
Lauren Davis
- About Me: One of the main reasons I chose UD was because of how welcomed I felt during interview day. The community that UD built felt very strong, and it simply felt right.
- Research Interests: D/deaf studies and school belonging.
Kamryn Magee
- About Me: I chose UD because of the hands-on and personal experiences offered right at the start of the program, as well as the opportunity to work as a graduate assistant.
- Research Interests: Traumatic brain injuries, mental health and behavior, and PBIS/MTSS support systems
Mallory Randall
- About Me: I chose UD because even as early as interview day, I could feel how supportive and compassionate the faculty was. They were so welcoming and really made me feel like I was a part of the program already. All the professors are so knowledgeable and want you to succeed.
- Research Interests: School to Prison Pipeline, mental health and teacher perceptions of school psychologists
- Thesis Project: Teacher perspectives regarding the science of reading in the classroom
Sydney Wallace
- About Me: one of the reasons I chose UD is its welcoming environment and the vast support you receive from all the staff members. Furthermore, as soon as I started the program, UD allowed me to enter schools and learn the roles of a school psychologist.
- Research Interest: Anxiety, children and family dynamics, improving the social-emotional state of young children.
Paige Rider
- About Me: I chose UD because of how welcoming the faculty and students are and the strong sense of community. I love the amount of hands-on experiences this program offers from day one.
- Research Interest: social justice in schools, anxiety, social-emotional learning, students’ relationships with teachers & school and how to improve those relationships
Blade Mills
- About Me: I chose UD because of how accepting the department is of differences amongst students and their dedication to diversity. The sense of community was demonstrated as early as the interview process. UD has afforded me the opportunity to gain research experience within my graduate assistantship while also gaining hands-on experience with practicum starting the first semester.
- Research Interest: Educational resilience among youth in foster care, development of self-regulation, mental health programing and interventions
Avery Harper
- About Me: I chose Dayton because of the welcoming environment created by the faculty and students. They are always willing to lend a helping hand and offer their support. Also because of the partnership Dayton has with Southern Ohio counties to increase the number of school psychologists in underserved, high need regions of the state
- Research Interest: Family-school relationships, Family dynamics, Supports for students in foster care, ADHD and anxiety
Kaylie Campbell
- About Me: I chose UD because of how welcoming and supportive every student and faculty member is. I love the sense of family that everyone has and how close each cohort is even after graduation. Being able to work as a graduate assistant gives me hands-on experience in the field to help push me to be the best school psychologist I can be. Many alumni are still involved with the program which just shows how connected everyone is
- Research Interest: Social-emotional learning, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support in Schools, Behavioral Strategies, and Suicide Prevention in Children and Youth
Violet Piskur
- About Me: I chose UD because of the strong sense of community, the faculty’s commitment to student success inside and outside of the classroom, and the opportunity to get direct experience in schools starting in the first semester of the program and through graduate assistantships.
- Research Interest: social justice in schools, cultural differences in education
- Thesis Project: Music educators’ preparedness to support student mental health.
Katelyn Huck
- About Me: I chose UD because the professors are supportive and passionate. They push everyone to be their best while also supporting us every step of the way. I am currently a graduate assistant at West Carrollton High School. Having this opportunity has been invaluable and given me experiences that have helped me grow and learn beyond the classroom. I feel that my cohort and professors will push me to reach my fullest potential in the field of school psychology even after graduation
- Research Interest: crisis prevention and response, behavior, PBIS, and student literacy
- Thesis Project: Ohio school administrators perspectives on barriers to implementing the Science of Reading
Jenna Harris
- About Me: I chose UD because the faculty and staff put every student's well-being and needs first. Receiving hands-on experience from the very first semester also helped me become even more driven and motivated towards school psychology!
- Research Interest: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and various neurological disorders and how they impact learning
- Thesis Project: The experiences of participants who engage in adaptive community sport programs
Grace Kirk
- About Me: I chose UD because of the welcoming environment and the tight-knit community among students and faculty. Being able to get hands-on experience in real-life settings helped me solidify my decision even more.
- Research Interest: behavior/behavioral disorders, ASD, and cultural effects on child development
- Thesis Project: School Psychologist Perceptions of Preparedness for Working with Students with Emotional Disturbance
Callynne Cockerill
- About Me: I chose UD because of the vast support received from faculty members, current students and previous students. Members of this school genuinely want you to succeed and will help you do just that! I also love that even from your first semester you get the chance to have hands-on experience with the profession.
- Research Interest: supports for ADHD within the classroom, services to students with dyslexia, and role of genetics in mental health.
Tori Minda
- About Me: I chose UD because of their commitment to serve our communities and how they implement their core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the program. UD also offers students the ability to work in schools and gain real-life experience through their graduate assistantships.
- Research Interest: Autism Spectrum Disorder, immigrant students, and the impact of SES on learning outcomes