Behind the Desk of a School Psychology Graduate Student

Alejandra Escobar has always had a passion for psychology. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in 2018, followed by her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from UIW in 2020. Now, Alejandra is completing her Master of Arts in School Psychology at Trinity University and is expected to graduate in Spring 2025. Throughout her time at Trinity, she has gained plenty of experience in the practical field and as a presenter. In November, she and two classmates are presenting their graduate projects at the Texas Association of School Psychology (TASP) conference. We sat down with her to discuss her experience in the program.

Q: What drew you to pursuing this program?  
A: I knew that I wanted to stay in San Antonio and while working for Trinity, I figured I should go ahead and apply for the school psychology program. To my surprise, I got accepted!

Q: What do you like about the field you are studying? 
A: I love the emphasis on mental health and getting to focus on helping children and their families with resources and services.

Q: What habit or skill do you recommend entering this field that one can start working on developing?
A: Knowing which cases to prioritize and making sure to log all of your cases because it is so easy to get caught up in all of the referrals and directions that you get pulled into.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone considering the Master's in School Psychology program?
A: I would say speak to a practicing School Psychologist to gather a bit of what their experiences have been like working in the field and to better understand what to expect once in a School Psychology graduate program.

Q: I heard you are presenting this year at the TASP Conference in Allen, TX. What are you presenting?
A: I'll be presenting my poster that I created as part of my research project. My poster is about racial and ethnic minority (REM) groups that are in need of school psychologists. My poster is entitled "REM Groups Need School Psychologists: Don't Sleep on This." The aim of my study is to identify what differences may occur in REM undergraduate students who participate in a free weeklong program vs. participation in a National Associate of School Psychologists (NASP) Minority Scholarship Program (MSP) by understanding which program would be a more effective way in helping close the gap between REM groups and the field of School Psychology. To share a statistic - Minoritized populations historically have been underrepresented in school psychology, "about 86% are White, and only 8% are Hispanic in the USA... which differs sharply from the student population." 50% of the school-aged population in the USA is from racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) groups.

Q: Wow, that sounds interesting! When is this conference?
A: I plan to participate in a poster presentation event at the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP) conference at the beginning of November. The TASP conference is taking place in Allen, TX from Nov. 7-9. 

Presenting at conferences like TASP is only one of the many opportunities that this program provides. If you would like to learn more about the Master of Arts in School Psychology program here at Trinity University, please visit the department website.