Meet Joe

A Culmination of Endless Options

I wanted to trade small town limitations for the endless options of a big campus in a culturally relevant city. The University offered the culmination of everything I was looking for in a college experience: top-ranked academic departments, unparalleled breadth of resources, affordability, amenities that come with being located in a vibrant metropolitan area, and genuine diversity among its students. The prospect of being in the stands for Longhorn football games didn’t hurt either. For many of these same reasons, I am excited to stay at UT to start the Ph.D. program here in Counseling Psychology, this fall.

An Epiphany Late in the Game

I had my epiphany a little late in the game, but when I realized that I wanted to study psychology during my fourth year (the semester before graduation!), I decided to stay an extra year to take the proper courses, become involved in research, mental health advocacy, and ultimately prepare myself for a doctoral program in psychology. During my fifth year, I have had the privilege of being a research assistant in two different clinical psychology labs, which gave me hands-on experience and allowed me to participate in the full life-cycle of psychology research. Most important, however, has been my time as a research assistant to Dr. Aaron Rochlen in counseling psychology. He has been my mentor and has helped me define my graduate school research interests in masculinity and men’s mental health.

Advertising in the World of Psychology

After investing countless hours at internships in the advertising world and making a home for myself in the College of Communication, I decided to graduate with my undergraduate major in Advertising despite my newfound aspirations to work in psychology. Because while I will never work for an advertising agency, I still see ways in which my bachelor's degree will be applicable in the future. Marketing psychological services and promoting mental health programs to underserved populations is one of my primary goals as a future psychologist, and the fundamentals I learned in the advertising sequence will surely benefit that mission.

Studying Human Behavior

I was first drawn to the balance of creativity and strategy that advertising offered and my professors’ mentorship helped me to find my niche in consumer behavior. But after I interned at several major advertising agencies, I realized that while marketing and consumer psychology are fun and fascinating fields, my true passion was studying human behavior and applying research for the purpose of benefitting society. Ironically, my work in advertising helped me realize that my true calling is to be a psychologist and psychology researcher.

The Best Decision I Made

Aside from my decision to stay a fifth year to participate in research and pursue coursework in psychology, joining Communication Council as a freshman was the best decision I made at UT. The Council is where I met my best friends and first became involved on campus. The ambitious people in the organization inspired me each year to achieve my goals, whether they be obtaining internships or running for Student Government. I learned leadership skills and the value of being proactive about changing things for the better at the University instead of merely complaining. The most valuable aspect of the experience, however, was that the Council served as my home on campus. It was a base that I could always return to and feel comfortable among a fun, extroverted, caring group of peers.

Faculty Relationships are an Integral Part of Success

Relationships with faculty have been such an integral part of any success I’ve had at UT. I took the time to get to know the professors who had an infectious excitement for the material they taught. When they saw that I shared their enthusiasm, they were always willing to mentor me. These interactions provided me with encouragement and direction when I needed it most. Because of the generosity of these faculty members with their time and knowledge, I was able to redirect my academic goals toward psychology. When I first sought out a research assistantship, I had no experience in psychology other than having taken the intro class. What I did have, however, was a sincere passion for psychology research and a dedicated work ethic. I am extremely grateful to graduate students in clinical psychology and Dr. Rochlen in counseling psychology for taking a chance on me and offering me real research responsibilities.

Educating Students about Mental Health

When I decided to study psychology, I immersed myself in books and journals on the subject. Researchers often cite the crippling stigmas that are associated with seeking help for all-too-common mental health issues that many students struggle with, such as depression and anxiety. I talked with staff at the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center about opportunities for an undergrad to help the mental health advocacy cause on campus and I was pointed to the student organization, Active Minds. This national group promotes awareness of mental health issues and works to reduce the stigmas, but UT didn’t have a chapter at the time. I am honored to have founded the UT-Austin chapter in spring 2008 and to have served as the president during the past year. Our flagship event was the University’s first Mental Health Awareness Week, which was a terrific success in educating students about mental health resources and the dangers of stigmas. I am confident that much more will be accomplished in future years as the organization continues to serve the campus community.