From design to cuisine to finances to body image, the Individual and Family Development major prepared me to advance well into the next season of my life. I am grateful for all that I studied and where it has brought me in my personal and occupational life.
Throughout my coursework in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department, I found myself constantly curious. How did my experiences, combined with my temperament, give me a unique encounter with the world, and how was this similar to or different from my classmates? How could I begin to know myself more and appreciate the variety of voices and stories around me? I was encouraged and challenged by my professors and classmates on both a personal and a cultural level throughout my studies.
Family and Consumer Sciences encompasses the study of psychology, sociology, anthropology, and art in a way that no other program does. It provides a catalyst to pursue specialized careers while also gaining knowledge in broad areas of daily life. It marries the practical with the existential and the individual with the global. It was the interconnected approach to the curriculum that broadened my horizons while helping me locate my passions.
Inspired by these newfound passions, I chose to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology. I went on to obtain my master of arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and opened a private practice here in my campus neighborhood, because I wanted to remain connected to the first neighborhood that I had called “home.” In my practice, I counsel clients through the many stages and challenges of life.
My undergraduate degree in Family and Consumer Sciences reaffirmed what I believe to be essential to human existence: relationship. We are constantly driven to connect with each other and with our surroundings. The relationships we form both help us survive and bring an incredible sense of meaning to our lives.