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Ravyn Hicks

1,405

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Bio

I am in an Forensic Psychology MA with graduation estimated May 2024. I plan to work in prison reform and rehabilitation. I've studied topics such as Capital Punishment, Psychopharmacology, Abnormal Psychology, Behavior Pathology, Interrogations & Confessions, and more. My goal is to obtain a PsyD in Forensic Psychology and become a licensed Forensic Psychologist. I have a passion for advocacy and have volunteered at different organizations for the majority of my life. I volunteered with three animal organizations, including SMAWL, Sugar Faces Senior Dog Rescue, and BARCS for years. I believe in advocating for society's most vulnerable populations, including inmates. I hope to work with The Innocence Project or Equal Justice Initiative in efforts to relieve wrongly incarcerated individuals. I have an almost two-year-old daughter named Jenesis and a puggle named Xan. Jenesis competes in natural pageants and is signed with two modeling agencies, including ITS Agency and Click Philly. I work full time as a Logistics Analyst with General Dynamics. I am a very organized, detailed, and motivated individual with strong values and goals.

Education

University of North Dakota

Master's degree program
2022 - 2024
  • Majors:
    • Psychology, Other

University of Maryland Global Campus

Bachelor's degree program
2019 - 2022
  • Majors:
    • Psychology, General

College of Southern Maryland

Associate's degree program
2015 - 2017
  • Majors:
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

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
    • Criminology
    • Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
    • Psychology, General
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Forensic Psychologist

    • Dream career goals:

      Criminal Psychologist

    • Logistics Analyst

      GDIT
      2022 – Present2 years

    Public services

    • Advocacy

      St. Mary's Animal Welfare League — Volunteer
      2013 – 2019

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship
    I believe that an open mind and grey perspective allows for true enlightenment. We must open ourselves to new ideas, even if they contradict our own. We limit our own realization of the Universe and it's power when we try to paint a black-and-white picture. As a Forensic Psychology major, I'm stuck between the legal side, which holds this black-and-white/wrong-and-right perspective, and the psychological side, which seeks to be objective in nature. With this degree and future education (as I plan to continue into a doctoral program), I hope to assist in blending the gap between the legal system and psychology. These two fields have had a rocky relationship for a long time, where the law is hesitant to use psychological methods in their discussions because of objectivity-- psychological researchers know that correlation does not equal causation, and will not attempt to claim any absolute idea. Understanding the nature of our Universe is a very complex matter. It involves every single aspect of us, and the rest of the world. Understanding the Universe calls for each individual to learn how to accept one another. As an avid astrology lover, and a huge follower of Carl Jung and his work in astro-psychology (among other fields like analytical psychology), it is not impossible for humans to understand other humans. Birth reports call for vast understanding of human nature, and can even be used in clinical-psychological practice. After obtaining licensure in this field, I hope to add aspects of astrology to my clinical practice, and focus on advocacy at the forensic level. I believe that whole people are better equipped to create happiness in the world. To be whole, one must be content in their place in the Universe. They must have peace with their level of attainment in life, and have self-actualized into their perceived fullest potential. The goal is to create happier individuals, who in turn will spread that happiness. Happiness creates openness and allows for new perspectives (and of course, creates trust). I believe that a lack of true happiness and peace is the root of many issues, not excluding our limited understanding of our Universe. Happy individuals are more likely to work together, to come to a common goal, and to find peace in life. Our goal in seeking to understand the Universe usually comes from the fact that many individuals do not know their place, or their purpose. Focusing on mental health and happiness, we can truly understand the Universe through the understanding of ourselves.
    Dr. Jade Education Scholarship
    The life of my dreams is already in process. I gave birth to my firstborn daughter on January 6, 2022. I also have a two-year-old puggle. However, to further attain those dreams, there are a few aspects of my life that need to change. Currently, I do not make enough money to leave my mother's house. My daughter and I live in the basement. I hold a full-time career as a Logistics Analyst, but I need to get to an annual salary of $80K before I feel comfortable purchasing a home. I'd also like a change of scenery, and to move to Dallas, TX. My daughter competes in pageants and models for an agency based out of PA. A dream of mine is to one day be able to show her, her own picture on a box of diapers or a toy in a popular store, such as Target! I also dream to make a career in my current major, Forensic Psychology. I want to make a difference in the prison systems and bring light to the issues inside those walls. I've been studying psychology since before graduating high school. I've studied everything from Abnormal Psychology to Personality Psychology to Astrological Psychology. I'd love to travel to Norway and get a closer look at their prison systems, which value rehabilitation over punishment, and have shown proven positive results as far as recidivism and crime rates. Finally, another goal of mine has always been to open a no-kill animal shelter. I've spent many years volunteering at different animal organizations in Maryland, such as BARCS in Baltimore, SMAWL and Sugar Faces Rescue in Southern Maryland, and at various dog boarding centers such as Pawtuxent Bed & Biscuit, Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day Spa, and Wag N Wash in Southern Maryland, and Camp Bow Wow in Columbia MD. In my local area, there are kill shelters, and I see dogs and cats being killed all the time because of a lack of space. I hope to open a center that is sophisticated enough to communicate with other shelters across different states to ensure that animals aren't killed and that rehoming rates are higher than in standard operating shelters. I'd love to instill a level of empathy and respect of other beings in my daughter, and allow her to see the good in all. We live in a world with too much hatred, and rather than allowing my child to succumb to these popular mindsets, I'd rather show her a better way, while doing the things that I love.
    Healing Self and Community Scholarship
    To sum matters in 250 words, I would bring openness and consideration to the mental health field. Being an individual diagnosed with PTSD, Bipolar Type 2, Borderline Personality Disorder and GAD, I've seen firsthand the effects of mental illness and the issues many issues like myself face in obtaining efficient care at a decent cost. I've spent the majority of my life drawn to psychology, and have been studying in the field since before graduating high school. Psychology remains an important, yet overlooked field, especially in the medical and legal communities. As a psychologist, I would bring light to these issues and aim to bridge the gap many experience due to financial, racial, and geographical disparities. I'm particularly interested in the Forensic Psychology field, where my focus will be on making sure our forgotten individuals receive the same level of care. Inmates are at a severely high risk of developing psychiatric disorders, and their treatment in these facilities only makes matters worse. I've spent the last year on courses dedicated to the forensic field of psychology including prison conditions, voir dire and capital punishment, psychotropic drugs and implications, race/gender/age/geography, and interrogations and confessions. Just like the prompted question notes, mental health care needs to be accessible to anyone who needs support. It will be my duty to ensure these individuals receive care to decrease the risks and shed light on issues associated with jails and prisons such as gangs, poor conditions, abuse by staff and other prisoners, and more.