The STAR Fellowship Program is housed within the Clinical Psychology Department at William James College. Its primary objectives are to:
- Provide 20 scholarships annually to eligible students from backgrounds underrepresented in the clinical psychology field (e.g., first-generation college students, students from low-income communities) who are currently enrolled in WJC’s Clinical Psychology Program and have a demonstrated financial need. Each student will be awarded $32,500 annually to cover the costs of tuition and fees.
- Facilitate access to culturally-focused academic training to promote greater awareness of, and commitment to, careers in medically underserved communities (MUCs) and/or primary care settings.
- Offer culturally-focused field training opportunities for awardees to work with unserved populations and in underserved communities.
- Provide mentorship and career counseling to support the successful retention and training of students who are underrepresented in the field of clinical psychology.
- Foster a sense of community belongingness and peer cohesion through the provision of social-cultural and professional development activities.
- Facilitate academic and professional development success in graduate school by linking scholarship awardees to academic resources and student support services at WJC.
- Evaluate the program’s impacts on the career choices of scholarship awardees by tracking the number of graduates who practice in primary care settings and in medically underserved communities.