Ethnicity
Black/African
Religion
Christian
Church
Presbyterian
Hobbies and interests
Ceramics And Pottery
Sports
Reading
Babysitting And Childcare
Counseling And Therapy
Cooking
Spanish
Soccer
Psychology
English
Swahili
Spending Time With Friends and Family
Violin
Running
Child Development
Mental Health
Clinical Psychology
Boxing
Community Service And Volunteering
Volleyball
Church
Imani Kinyanjui
2,735
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WinnerImani Kinyanjui
2,735
Bold Points1x
Nominee2x
Finalist2x
WinnerBio
Hello! My name is Imani and I am currently attending the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign as a psychology major in order to become a clinical psychologist in the future.
My passion in psychology strongly revolves around helping others who struggle with their mental health. Growing up, I've seen many individuals around me struggle with experiencing mental health stigma within their family/friend groups, causing them to hesitate or refuse in reaching out to receive the proper mental health support and resources they need, and instead suffer through their pain alone. This has resulted in myself wanting to help combat the mental health stigma and help people, whether it is just one person or even a community, understand that they are not alone in their mental health struggles, and should not feel ashamed or fearful to seek professional help.
In addition to this, I also moved from the United States to East Africa (Kenya) from the age of nine up until graduating my high school in Nairobi at the age of eighteen. After studying, gaining professional experience, and helping people with their mental struggles in the United States as a clinical psychologist, I would like one day to return to Kenya to provide better mental health resources to the country and culture that has tremendously shaped me into the person I am today.
Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Psychology, General
Minors:
- Public Health
College of Lake County
Associate's degree programMajors:
- Psychology, General
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Career
Dream career field:
Mental Health Care
Dream career goals:
Clinical Psychologist
Waitress
Jolly Rogers Restaurant and Theme Park (Kenya)2017 – 20203 years
Sports
Soccer
Varsity2018 – 20224 years
Awards
- Awarded "Most Improved Player"
- Won 1st place at the ICSA East African Tournament in Uganda
- Soccer Captain Senior Year of High School
- Team won second place in the KAISSO tournament in 2020
- Team won third place in the KAISSO tournament in 2022
Basketball
Varsity2019 – 20223 years
Awards
- Team won second place at the KAISSO tournament in 2019
Volleyball
Varsity2021 – 20221 year
Arts
Choir
Music2017 – 2019Pottery
Ceramics2021 – 2022Orchestra (Violin Player)
Music2013 – 2019
Public services
Volunteering
Heshima Children's Center. — Interacting with the children/helping them during their classtime.2016 – 2018Volunteering
Tania School/Rehabilitation Center. — Helping sweep the floors/interacting with the children.2016 – 2016