Leadership_Qualities

Leadership Experience in Psychology: Particularly during my doctoral studies, I have become increasingly involved with my local, state, and national psychology organizations. I have been active in the Houston Psychological Association (HPA), Texas Psychological Association (TPA), and APAGS. I have attended and presented at numerous local and national conferences and summits, where I have had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with so many incredible people. Some of my most central leadership roles have stemmed from my active involvement in the APAGS AdvocacyCoordinating Team (APAGS-ACT). During my first year of doctoral studies, I attended the National Multicultural Conference in Seattle. When I visited the APAGS booth, I quickly realized that my department lacked one aspect I believed to be a key component of any program--a representative for advocacy. Upon my return to Houston, I immediately applied for the Campus Representative (CR) position in APAGS-ACT and brought that role to our department for the first time. This position was fundamental in sparking my interests in legislative processes and increasing my awareness of the political structures inherent in psychology. I soon accepted a promotion to the Texas State Advocacy Coordinator (SAC) position and recently accepted another promotion to the NW Regional Advocacy Coordinator (RAC) position. As a result of my dedication to the SAC role, I was one of few students chosen to attend the 2012 State Leadership Conference (SLC) with APAGS-ACT (see below for more information on the SLC). My various leadership roles have helped me explore my interests in effective management and communication, collaboration, program planning and development, and outcome assessment. These roles have improved the planning and assessment skills I acquired as a public school teacher and enhanced my organization and management skills. In APAGS-ACT, I have had the privilege to promote psychology and student development in a more holistic way and engage in dialogue with colleagues around problem solving, advocacy projects and awareness, and current issues. My experiences with professional groups have helped me work well on teams and facilitate difficult conversations that result in feasible solutions for multiple parties. In various roles, I have been able to hone leadership skills that I believe will benefit me in the future as I pursue a career in psychology. Overall, these roles and my experiences have shown me that being involved in various committees, organizations, and STGs can give students a voice while they gain knowledge and feel empowered about their chosen field. I believe student involvement in current issues in the profession is not only a fantastic learning experience and professional development opportunity, but that it is also a responsibility of graduate students to be involved, think critically, and ask questions. I do not take this responsibility lightly and am invested in the future of psychology. Moreover, my involvement in APAGS-ACT has put in sharp relief for me the importance of talking to current leaders and professionals in the field in order to learn, gain perspective, and engage in dialogue about psychology. Engaging in leadership activities and roles outside of my general training program is important to me because it allows me to go beyond a single therapy session or single research study to make a broader impact and gain new insight and knowledge about the professional domain of psychology. As students, we are the future of psychology. We are the facilitators of that future. As an aspiring future psychologist I feel compelled to be actively involved in the process and creation of it. CAREER SKILLS AND HIGHLIGHTS • Excels in organizational planning. Delivers excellence in managing personnel and projects, training, and networking as well as client relations. • Able to work collaboratively with others, gather information, solicit feedback, and implement appropriate course of action to ensure best outcomes. • Offers unparalleled integrity, initiative, resourcefulness, consistency, and diligence in achieving objectives and both short and long-term goals. • Results-oriented, able to balance multiple responsibilities, consistently delivering results on time. • Adept at leading by example, marshaling resources and creating professional atmosphere to accomplish objectives. • Natural communicator with strong motivational skills and the ability to support operational goals and meet objectives. • Able to generate new customer while assisting clients on their training exercises thru networking. • Successfully coached different teams while extending network to gain more clientele by emphasizing achievements and accomplishments as head coach. • Successfully managed and assisted clients as a personal trainer and acquired new clients by means of referrals.