Thursday, May 9, 2013
Kelly Leacock ’13 says the EOP Program, her professors and her mother made her realize the sky is the limit.
by Susan Cousins Breen
Kelly Leacock ’13, a double major in Psychology and French, credits the Equal Opportunity Program with helping her get a good start at Rider and the Robert E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program with guiding her in planning a career and preparing for the process of graduate school applications.
“They said, ‘You can go to grad school and, then, they showed me how to get there,’ ” Leacock said.
In the fall, the East Orange, N.J., native will begin work on a master’s degree in general psychology at The New School for Social Research in New York City, a stepping stone to a Ph.D.in clinical psychology. There, Leacock will continue the research on attachment and moral decision-making in parent/child relationships she began as an undergraduate.
“Dr. Michael Carlin [assistant professor of Psychology] and Dr. Gary Brosvic [professor of Biopsychology and Experimental Psychology] were both there to help me reach my goals and become a skilled independent researcher,” Leacock said. “That support and the McNair program shaped me and gave me insight into what I wanted to do.”
Leacock describes herself as nerdy. “I love school and all the things around me that I can learn but the drive to succeed began at home,” she said. “My mother always told me I could do great things. Having that support has made all the difference in my experience at Rider.”
Taking advantage of the many opportunities offered by the University, Leacock concludes her undergraduate career with memberships in the Psi Chi National Honor Society of Psychology, Pi Delta Phi National French Honor Society, Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society, and Alpha Lambda Academic Honor Society. She has presented at conferences of the Eastern Psychology Association and the New England Psychology Association and is completing an internship in the Center for International Education, which she describes as a “great way to learn about international relations and other cultures.” She has also found time to serve as vice president of the French Club and a content tutor for French and psychology courses in the Student Success Center.
“I had a good support system at Rider—an experience that has made me independent,” Leacock said. “As I graduate, I’m taking away a sense of community but also a feeling of confidence that I am ready for the next step.”