Hands-on Experiences Support Psychology Student’s Commitment to Youth Mental Health

Madelyn Ayers attended larger universities in Colorado and Virginia before transferring to Dominican, where she found the perfect fit. A passion for studying and reforming the intersections between psychology and social justice drew Madelyn to the psychology program and its hands-on approach to education.

“I have been interested in psychology since middle school, and I love that Dominican psych students complete directed research and field placements, as these classes contribute to a holistic education.”

Madelyn excelled during her first year at Dominican. She made the dean’s list both fall and spring semesters, joined the Honors Program, and was inducted into Dominican’s Psi Chi chapter. Dominican’s flexible curriculum allowed her to add two minors aligned with her major. The clinical and counseling science minor teaches skills needed to succeed as a psychotherapist, while the health humanities minor focuses on how to analyze health in the context of literature, ethics, and psychology.

“I feel grateful to attend Dominican,” Madelyn says. “The small school size allowed me to build relationships with my professors who offer one-on-one help and recognize my academic strength.”

As a transfer student planning to graduate a semester early, Madelyn particularly appreciates the guidance and support received from her faculty advisor, Veronica Fruiht, associate professor of psychology. 

“Veronica has been very helpful and attentive as an advisor. She made a detailed graduation plan for me, and I appreciate the role advisors play in student success at Dominican.” 

“I also took one of her classes my first semester. As a professor, she engages students during lectures, offers 1:1 help when asked, and quickly responds to questions and concerns. While she is a challenging professor, she has pushed me to learn more.”

Other professors who have made an impact are George Faithful, associate professor of religion and philosophy, and Christine Schaefer-Willis, adjunct professor of psychology. “Both are easy to reach outside of class to talk deeper about content,” Madelyn says. “They are also caring professors, and I felt pushed to become a better student and learn more.”

Troubled by both the income disparities and lack of racial diversity in the wider Marin community, Madelyn has embraced the opportunity to work with Marin’s diverse communities.  

Through the “Ethics and Housing and Homelessness” service-learning course, Madelyn spent the semester working with San Rafael’s Downtown Streets Team and its Streets Team Volunteers Program, which invites people experiencing homelessness to volunteer on teams dedicated to cleaning streets, parks, and other public spaces while they chart a path out of homelessness. 

Madelyn worked alongside team members to clean the streets of San Rafael. 

“I built relationships with individuals experiencing homelessness,” she recalls. “Likewise, I learned about various programs that Marin County and California offer to help combat homelessness.”

All psychology students are required to design and conduct their own research on a topic of their choice. Integrating this research topic with a field placement in the same content area gives students specialized knowledge of and first-hand experience in their own area of interest.

Currently Madelyn is a mental health intern and youth mentor with the Youth Mental Health Academy. The academy is run by the Child Mind Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with children from structurally marginalized communities who struggle with mental health. The year-long program begins with a five-week summer academy. This summer, she worked with students as they developed capstone projects examining specific topics in mental health. Madelyn will continue to mentor nine students throughout the year, preparing them to transition into either higher education or the workplace.

“I am surprised and inspired by my mentees’ interests in mental health,” Madelyn says. “Each of them had unique, specific topics they wanted to research and learn more about. I wish there were more opportunities to learn about mental health and psychology in high school.”

Working with clinicians from the Child Mind Institute will give Madelyn insight into trauma-informed practices as she develops her senior research project. After completing her bachelor’s degree, Madelyn plans to attend graduate school to study Counseling Psychology to continue working with children and adolescents in the counseling field. 

Madelyn is a recipient of Dominican’s Jordan A. Fromm Memorial Scholarship.