Studying in the car line outside an elementary school, applying for endless private elementary school scholarships to fulfill her mother's dream along with 100s of my own, and crying about both of our homework assignments together. Hello! I'm Becca, a school psychology graduate student with a passion for education and empowering my community. I have a deep commitment to being a building block towards bettering my world and creating better for all students including my own. I took in my cousin Nan when she was only 3 after the passing of her mother my aunt (and best friend). I was personally blessed with many amazing people in my life who have helped me on my way through my education. So many amazing women who have through sacrifice allowed me to blaze a pathway for myself and my cousin. My journey into higher education has been shaped by the unique challenges and joys of balancing academic pursuits with the beautiful but harsh responsibilities and realities of parenthood. Now as Nan is getting older (almost double digits!) I recognize the long lists of positives that have entered my life due to her presence alone. Being a single parent has taught me resilience, time management, and the importance of setting priorities. Juggling coursework and parenting is undoubtedly demanding, but it has also fueled my determination to succeed not only for myself but for Nan's future. Every late-night study session and early morning routine is a testament to my dedication to providing a better life for both of us. My pursuit of higher education is driven by a desire to create a positive impact in our community. I envision contributing to educational initiatives that empower children and families, especially those facing similar circumstances. As a graduate student, I am focused on researching innovative teaching methods and community engagement strategies that can enhance the learning experiences of children from diverse backgrounds. Beyond academia, I am actively involved in community outreach programs. I believe in the power of education to break the cycle of disadvantage, and I'm committed to creating opportunities for children like Nan to thrive. I have dedicated my life to ending food insecurity in my home state of Rhode Island through the SNAP Outreach and Food for Thought Programs. This allowed me and my fellow students to work on battling the confusion and struggle of applying for food benefits or having access to safe wholesome food through the food bank program. Still today I am working towards building support for the "Free Lunch for All" initiative to provide free breakfast and lunch for all school children of all age's year round. My ultimate goal would be to build my school and soon all schools into community centers with support classes, access to social services, and safe family weekend spaces. In essence, my journey as a single parent has not only shaped my approach to higher education but has also instilled in me a sense of purpose to make a positive impact in the lives of those around me. Nan serves as a constant reminder of the potential within every child, and I am determined to contribute to a community where all children have the opportunity to succeed and flourish.

To start I must state that I am from a multi-generational family of Rhode Island women. Raised strictly Roman Catholic religion became a large part of my cultural experience in my youth. I grew up in the church remembering many Sundays with my great-grandmother whispering my Hail Marys in broken French under my breath. Being a mother was preached as important in every inch of the spaces I grew up in, and my family reflected that belief. The family itself was always fairly large. Ten grandchildren are back-to-back with no more than a 2-year gap between one child to the next until the youngest is born. Five girls and four boys all presented evenly in a line of New Year’s photos taken in my great-grandmother’s living room: 1999 (Becky and Bonnie), 2001-2002 (Zeke and Jordyn), 2003 (Danny and Dori), 2004 (Caitlin), 2006 (Julian), 2014 (Natalie). My interest in school psychology as the focal point of my graduate education came in two parts; from my childhood, and my experiences. The pain of surviving in a low-income community and homelessness was always a presence throughout my childhood and through my adolescent years. These are the students that I want to support each day. This experience molded my current passion for the support of all students across the spectrum of ability, race, and experience. Students without the educational support necessary to build the early interventions necessary to flourish in public education. I remember the uncertainty of poverty ever present and the one thing I always had was education. I escaped from the pain and anxiety through reading and studying. Learning everything available to me became a part of my escape from the burdens of poverty that balanced on my shoulders. Education and the school system became my escape and my stability. My childhood personal experiences in food insecurity led to my work with the Center for a Hunger-Free America during my years at the University of Rhode Island. I spent over two years as a SNAP Outreach Worker working closely with the low-income community of Rhode Island. Through my work at the Center for a Hunger-Free America, I learned about one of the fundamental aspects of all professional work, cultural humility I came to understand that this education and knowledge gave me the power I would need to escape poverty. I knew I needed to further my education. As I work with people each day to apply for social services, I am reminded of my past leading to my dreams of being a school psychologist. A future in school psychology will allow me to fuel that same passion for supportive knowledge in children of the next generation and create an atmosphere that helps children from all walks of life thrive. I wish to go into school psychology to give students the stability that I personally never received while in the public school system working with low-income and struggling students. These are the students that need the help of mental health professionals the most, while simultaneously being the group that is neglected and abandoned by the system.

The pain and emptiness of surviving in a low-income community and homelessness were always a presence throughout my childhood and through my adolescent years. These are the students that I read about today. Those students heard about in the news. Those students, children being barely sustained by two meals per day, the free breakfast and lunch provided by the school system that offers the bare minimum in nutritional value, if any at all. Students turned away from the only meal they may get due to insufficient funds in their lunch accounts. I remember the uncertainty ever present and the one thing I always had was education. I escaped from the pain and anxiety through reading and studying. Learning everything available to me became a part of my escape from the burdens of poverty that balanced on my shoulders. education and the school system became my escape and my stability. I came to understand that this education and knowledge gave me the power I would need to escape the darkness that poverty and homelessness create. I knew I needed to further my education. As I work toward my degree, I am reminded of my past leading to my dreams of being a school psychologist. A future in school psychology will allow me to fuel that same passion of fueling knowledge in children of the next generation and create an atmosphere that helps children of all walks of life thrive. I wish to go into school psychology to give students the stability that I personally never received while in the public school system working with low-income and struggling students. These are the students that need the help of mental health professionals the most, while simultaneously being the group that is neglected and abandoned by the system, swept under the rug. My sister is one of these students as well. She is chronically ill and has several learning disabilities that, while she can function fully, cause her daily stress as she attempts to navigate daily life in an `overworked and underfunded school system. She was failing miserably in every general education class she was put into. She felt like a failure and thus her mental health, educational attainment and even physical health suffered. I saw firsthand the effects of the failures of the public school system and felt powerless to stop her continued decline. Then after a long move to a different, and admittedly better funded, school district changed my sister’s life. My sister was thoroughly evaluated by the new systems school psychologist who was able to draft an IEP that allowed my sister to partake in the special education program and still be integrated and included into the social atmosphere of general students. The IEP granted my sister the balance that she needed to thrive in education and helped both the educators and my parents better understand the additional needs that my sister required. The school psychologist laid out the current progress, successes and current academic effects, and helped cement measurable annual goals and personalized accommodations. For example, my sister was able to have alternate testing that allowed for more time and a quieter environment in which to take tests. The work helped my sister thrive in school and I watched closely as, finally, learning became I have two main and personal reasons I intend to structure my future employment and professional goals towards going into my career in school psychology or a school-based career; passion, and family. I intend to work in a public school system in a low-income district and provide crucial aid to students living in impoverished areas of this country. Towards the first. Two of my biggest passions include first mental health awareness and second food security with nutritional fulfillment. These two topics intertwine greatly. According to multiple studies students from food insecure families have, over their lifetimes persistently high levels of depression, hyper-activity and inattention. Food insecurity is defined as, “inadequate access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets individuals’ dietary needs”. More than 16 million students struggle with food security every day. This is also closely related to the 23 million Americans who live in food deserts in this country. The food deserts in the US are, “geographical areas that lack sufficient supply of fresh vegetables, fruits, and healthful affordable foods”, the general rule is there being no grocery store within a mile of an urban area it is considered a food desert, Woonsocket for example in Rhode Island is a nearby example. This is such an important aspect in the daily lives of low-income children and students and have severe academic consequences that are directly related to problems that school psychologists and school professionals are at the forefront of including, school absenteeism, intellectual development, growth, health, academic performance and social skills and behavior. As a mental health professional I want to take my passion and make sure that all students have safe and available food options that will aid them better in maintaining into adulthood. Working towards complete food security in all schools is one of my major goals in my career as a mental health professional as addressing this intense need will help to lower the chances of severe future mental, behavioral and physical health problems for students in the future. To break the cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the public school system by any margin, even if it only helps a small percentage of the students under my supervision is a major goal thus creating a strong relationship, in part, between my and the goals of No Kid Hungry being: to provide access to programs and community aide to families facing food insecurities, nutritional education that focuses on healthy diets with lower costs, and increasing the awareness of childhood hunger in America and our public schools. I also want to work to make sure that no child who has educational difficulties and faces challenges in learning ever has to feel like a failure due to a lack of support. I want to be able to give mental health support to children who need it most to support students from all walks of life. I want to support students towards becoming well-rounded and confident adults that will academically and socially thrive. In essence, to use NASPs terminology I wish to aid in “lowering barriers to learning” be that from, social determinants like food or housing insecurity or diverse, students who are struggling learners within the special education programs and students trapped in general education where there talents would be best suited in a more advanced academic environment. I want to have a part in creating a safe and productive learning environment for all students and their families within this country. Towards the later years of my career I would like to go into higher level academia at the college level and share my experience working in the fields with new minds and make sure that the future of education and mental health is not lost due to the shortage of potential school psychologists. School psychologists at all levels have a primary goal to enable an environment where students can develop and maintain social and academic success in learning, behavior, mental health and assisting in school systems. School psychologists help serve youth on multiple levels both directly and indirectly. For example; providing supports in academic and behavioral situations, consultation with families, and educators to best provide an academically profound experience, developing crisis prevention and assisting in creating a safe learning environment. To quote the National Association of School Psychologists, “School psychologists provide direct support and interventions to students, consult with teachers, families, and other school-employed mental health professionals to improve support strategies, work with school administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies, and collaborate with community providers to coordinate needed services.” (NASP 2019). At its core I want to support students into becoming healthy and successful adults to create an overall better world. Students spend the adult equivalent of a full-time employment in schools at over 30 hours per week. This means that a lot of the development of students and the American society is developed in the American school system. Within the rising rates of mental illness and mass instances of violence that have taken place in recent years including; increasing rates of depression and anxiety according to the CDC with, “1 in 6 children aged 2-8 years having a mental, behavioral or developmental disorder” (CDC 2019). These students need the support of fully trained and prepared mental health professionals in the schools. The school system is the first line of defense. With the right support, attentive staff and appropriate data, all students of diverse backgrounds can grow into their full adult potential creating a better future for not only themselves but America as a whole. The need and the passion is fully within school psychology it is not only a potential future profession but a calling to aide in the support of the future of America.

I experienced a loss of innocence when I was 11 years old. My mother was once again homeless, after a brief reprieve as a result of a romantic relationship with a man of some financial stability. I was 10 and a miserable child and as a result I hated the strict rules of the home caretakers. I hated the bland, dry, and textured food served in the shelter cafeteria. I hated sleeping next to my brother and sister on the same bed. When I was not complaining, I was silent. I was eventually sent to live with my father. This was a man I had never meant in any capacity, not even over the phone! My nerves were skyrocketing. My father’s off blue van pulled in and took me away from the only home I had ever known, that of my mother’s arms, into the unknown world. I moved to an extra small pinprick town in Northern Minnesota with my father, his fiancé and her 3 children. My father’s wife, for the sake of an anonymous narrative will be referred to as Monica. This woman was not a big supporter of my residence in my father’s home. My father and herself survived paycheck to paycheck on a shoestring budget in their previous household numbers much less with another mouth to feed, so my presence gathered minimal blessings from Monica’s heart or sympathies. My father was an extremely strict disciplinarian, the creed he firmly stood by was that of “spare the rod, spoil the child.” This was not a parenting style I knew well as my mother herself in all her strengths and weaknesses tended towards a more passive parentage outlook. I was unprepared for formal and swift discipline my father and stepmother were accustomed to delivering. This is something my stepmother wanted to hurriedly acquaint myself with. The loss of innocence occurred quickly in the third week I lived in my father’s home. It was one of my responsibilities to do dishes, a chore readily despised. So as an 11-year-old girl I quickly accepted my stepmother’s willingness to complete the task on this particular day and went about the list of chores I would do any given day. I quickly heard 3 smashing sounds in a quick succession. Three of my father’s pint glasses had hit the floor. I walked into the kitchen further and Monica steadily meant my gaze as she picked up an antique bowl, belonging previously to my father’s grandmother, and readily raised it to her full height to drop onto the linoleum. Monica looked me full in the eyes as she did this. She looked me dead on as she told my father 5 minutes later that I had destroyed the four or five dishes in a fit of rage. Then Monica looked me dead in the eyes as I was punished. That very day Monica not only destroyed my trust in authority, but also destroyed the fledgling bond between myself and my father, a bond that I had been dreaming of developing since I was a young girl. There are many forms of lost innocence that individuals of all ages and experience can encounter. I lost the innocence that trust can be placed in those of authority. Before this point the idea of even thinking of anything, my mother or grandmother or teacher said as anything, but the intended truth was unthinkable. That day I learned at age 11 that adults can lie maliciously. I lost the innocence to feel secure in that home. I could no longer feel like I was ever truly safe from her influence or away from her gaze. The same day I told a friend of my father that would come to the house for supper, “I always feel she is over my shoulder. She is always waiting for me to make a mistake. Why does Father always believe her?” I remember having lost another remaining bit of innocence upon her laughing response of, “No man will choose his child over his wife in a fight! He has to live with her for life! Sorry honey you will never be the most important girl in his life.” I feel I lost the innocent love a girl can only feel for her father that day after knowing him for three weeks. My experience molded my passion for the support of students across the spectrum of ability, race, and experience. An ever-growing passion to aid students without the educational supports necessary to build the early interventions necessary to flourish in public education. I remember poverty ever present and the one thing I always had was education. I escaped from anxiety through my studies. Learning everything that was available becoming a part of my escape from loss that balanced on my shoulders.

The reality of the modern nature of the world is that there is a tiered system of health and it is contingent on the financial security and privilege of the people and especially children within. by working towards a culture that eliminates many of the originating causes of mental health problems from the root: childhood. Two of my biggest passions include mental health awareness and food security with nutritional fulfillment. Students who are struggling academically and with mental health issues who are also food or housing insecure, will need to have all of their needs met. The role of a school psychologist is multifaceted and requires a view of the whole child to ensure success. It is important that according to multiple studies students from food insecure families have, over their lifetimes persistently high levels of depression, hyper-activity and inattention. More than 16 million students struggle with food security every day. This is such an important aspect in the daily lives of low-income students and has severe academic consequences. School professionals are at the forefront of addressing school absenteeism, intellectual development, growth, health, academic performance and social skills and behavior. Making sure that all students have safe and available food options that will aid them better in maintaining academic and future successes into adulthood. Working towards complete food security in all schools is also one of my major goals into my career as a mental health professional as addressing this intense need will help to lower chances of severe future mental, behavioral and physical health problems for students in the future.

My interest in school psychology can be traced back to a childhood characterized by income insecurity and the constant pain and anxiety that came with it. My harsh experience molded my current passion for the support of all students across the spectrum of ability, race, and experience. An ever-growing passion to aid students without the supports necessary to build the early interventions necessary to flourish in public education. I remember poverty ever present and the one thing I always had was education. I escaped from the pain and anxiety through reading and studying. Learning everything that was available to me became a part of my escape from the burdens of balanced on my shoulders. Education and the school system became my escape. My personal childhood experiences of food insecurity led to my work with the Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America during my years undergraduate. Through my work at the Hunger Center. I learned about one of the fundamental aspects of all professional work, cultural humility. Cultural humility being the importance of respecting everyone where they are fully and with compassion and understanding. More than 16 million students struggle with food security every day.. Working towards complete food security in all schools is one of my major goals into my career as a mental health professional as addressing this intense need will help to lower chances of severe future mental, behavioral and physical health problems for students in the future. This is a major goal thus creating a strong relationship, in part, between my goals to provide access and support to families facing food insecurity. Using fundamental health-first education that focuses on the essentials of physical and emotional wellbeing thus increasing the responsiveness towards childhood hunger in public schools. I also want to work to make sure that no child that has educational difficulties and faces challenges in learning ever has to feel like a failure due to a lack of support. I want to be able to give the academic and mental health support for children who need it most and help support students from all walks of life. I want to support students into becoming well-rounded and confident adults that will academically and socially thrive. In essence I wish to aid in lowering barriers to learning be that from social determinants like food or housing insecurity or diverse students who are struggling learners within the special education programs and students that are trapped in general education where their talents would be best suited in a more advanced academic environment. I want to have a part in creating a safe and productive learning environment for all students and their families within this country. I want to support students into becoming healthy and successful adults to create an overall better world. Students spend the adult equivalent of a full-time employment in schools at over 30 hours per week. This means that a lot of the development of students and the American society is developed in the American school system. With the rising rates of mental illness and mass instances of violence that have taken place in recent years, these students need the support of fully trained and prepared mental health professionals in the American schools. The school system is the first line of defense. The need and the passion are fully within school psychology. It is not only a potential future profession to be but a true calling to aid in the support of the future of the United States.