Student Ambassador: Madison Babula

Hello!

My name is Madison Babula, and I am from Wilbraham, Massachusetts. I am a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at William James College (WJC). I also work as a Graduate Research Assistant within the office of Program Development, Monitoring, and Evaluation at WJC. In this role, I assist with research projects that are affiliated with WJC’s community programs. Some of my responsibilities include data organization and entry, database creation and management, and creation of data collection tools.

As an undergraduate student at Westfield State University, I developed a strong interest in the biological aspects of psychology. I particularly enjoyed learning about the neuroanatomy of the brain and how illness or injuries can lead to deficits in behavior. I believe this is what sparked my dream to one day become a clinical neuropsychologist. After graduating in 2018 with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Biology, I knew that I wanted to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology; however, I was unsure of whether a PhD or a PsyD program would best fit my educational goals. I therefore decided to work in the field and gain clinical experience until I felt certain that one of these two training programs was the right fit for me. After working as a Crisis/Respite Counselor, Research Assistant/Project Manager, and as a Neuropsychology Psychometrician, I realized that my passions, career interests, and training goals aligned mostly with the training received through a PsyD program. Naturally, I applied to WJC.

I chose to attend William James College because of the program-specific Neuropsychology concentration. The concentration aligns with several training requirements that are necessary for future board certification in neuropsychology. I also chose to attend WJC because field training begins within the first year of the program. This was important to me because I want to train within (and learn more about) as many areas of neuropsychology as I can during my doctoral training.

My best advice is to ask questions! Ask questions and get curious about the kinds of opportunities available at and around WJC. Lastly, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about William James College or my experience!