Innovators
Ashleigh Williams,
Student
What was your path to mental healthcare?
My path to a career in mental health solidified during my sophomore year of college. At this time, I realized that the underrepresented students around me carried an extra burden dealing with the anxiety of exceptionalism in their education and finances without the resources to handle these challenges properly. During that time, it would have been fulfilling and useful with the struggles of college and dealing with the burdens of trying to be excellent to have a mentor that could relate to what I have tried to achieve as I navigate my education. I want to improve the lack of representation by being there for future generations by increasing their access to connections and resources. This only grew with my current projects with Dr. McAlpine to develop zoom meetings for underrepresented children to learn various career and educational opportunities from an array of specialists.
I first discovered my passion for psychology while I was a junior in high school. From there I was able to further my studies at the University of North Texas as I made decided how I was going to best contribute to the field. In that time I realized I wanted to help under represented youth build their confidence as they maneuver through life. In that time, I have been able to work with Dr. McAlpine and develop a program that allows specialist in various fields to share their experience to expand the children career, health, and educational knowledge.
How will this scholarship help you?
This scholarship would help further my professional development by allowing me to increase my knowledge and skill in mental health. Discover new research trends, diagnoses, and analyses to take that knowledge back to my colleagues and community so that we may help decrease some of the stigmas that come with marginalized groups and mental health. This scholarship will also allow me to network with those with a lot more experience professionally.
It will give me the opportunity to connect with my fellow colleges and collaborate on ideas so that we can find ways to help each other grow. As well as help me discover others that would like to help the program me and Dr. McAlpine have developed.
I would like to continue a career in child development with a focus on building self esteem, resilience and goal orientation in under represented children and youth. I have continued to grow a program with Dr. McAlpine for children to learn more about different topics from specialist in various fields. While doing this I have noticed an increase in interest for their education and wanting to purse careers in those fields. While also learning about taking care of their health and finance.
I would also love to continue my own personal research regarding defense mechanisms we teach our under represented groups of children that actually cause damage to their self esteem. This way we can figure out which cycles are being repeated in each generation, and the best way to combat that moving forward.
What are your academic and/or career goals?
I want to focus on how specific communities alter their appearance, personality, and thought process as a defense mechanism to better fit into the image of socially acceptable traits that we teach under-represented children and how that can cause more harm to their self-esteem. For example, African Americans are taught from a young age what is perceived as a professional appearance to fit the social standard. This has caused African Americans to have a negative outlook on their natural hair resulting in hair damage and loss, making it harder to adapt to the expectation of our hair and maintain a professional perception to corporate groups. Laws like the California Crown Act prove that this is still a valid defense created by the black community. This can negatively affect self-esteem, and to quote Dr. Antoinette Gomez, "how you feel is what you are." So I would like to dive further into cognitive behavior therapies' effect on self-esteem with disenfranchised people, including those in cultures with a mental health stigma yet cumulative trauma.
What does “exceptional patient care” mean to you?
Exceptional patient care means actively showing you value and caring about your patients to understand their health and well-being goals. The patient must know that you are not just their assigned doctor but a person who cares about their pain and experiences, which promotes a more comfortable and transparent interaction and understanding of their concerns and history. This can help you figure out when you're thinking about a solution that will help them grow and meet their needs. You need the patient to feel transparent in interacting with you because only they truly know themselves. A prime example would be teaching someone self-care and going on a spa day, but that patient is struggling with financial hardships or has a problem with being touched that they did not feel comfortable enough to share. The solution you have created can trigger the patient and cause more harm. So in order to combat this, a mental health care professional should focus first on establishing that bond with their patient.
Exceptional patient care means being thoughtful and courteous about the interaction you have with your patient and colleagues. Actively caring about the needs and concern your patient is bring to you. While tailoring a solution just for them to optimism their growth and healing.