Danielle is from the St. Louis area, earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from UMSL, and worked as an Early Childhood Teacher for the past 7 years. She returned to UMSL after discovering the School Psychology program and “found a passion for the field that combined her love of psychology and education.” Danielle knew the UMSL program was for her “after meeting with Don and Mike and gaining more insight into the expectations and path the program would take her on.” Danielle’s professional interests include: School-based mental health, Multicultural Consultation and Collaboration, RTI/Early intervention/Problem-solving model. She loves the St. Louis Cardinals, spending time with family and friends, and cooking.
Nate grew up in St. Louis, and received his bachelor’s degree from Washington University. He continued studying the social sciences in Atlanta, where he earned his masters from Emory University. Working extensively with children led him to investigate careers in teaching and counseling, but when he learned that school psychologists work with entire school communities, he was convinced that the Ed.S. program at UMSL was where he belonged. His interests of focus include: connecting mental health services to school climate and schoolwide improvement planning, providing professional development to educators, and using problem-solving consultation to link assessment to intervention. Nate enjoys drumming, movies that “mess with you”, reading and road-tripping.
Joe was born and raised in St. Louis and earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Saint Louis University. While considering becoming a teacher, Joe discovered school psychology and was hooked. “It perfectly combined my desire to work in schools with my love of data, analysis, and working with kids one-on-one.” Joe said he chose UMSL because he “wanted to make a difference in the lives of children throughout St. Louis” and “the learning community here is so inviting and feels like a second family.” Joe’s professional interests include physical activity interventions in both special and general education and building trauma-sensitive schools. Joe enjoys traveling, cooking, exercising, and lives and dies with Cardinals baseball.
I'm originally from Kansas City, MO, where I studied art therapy before moving to Saint Louis. I have earned my Bachelor's in Psychology, Master's degree in Education Psychology, and will be graduating with my Education Specialist degree in May here at UMSL. I chose UMSL because it's a Research Level 1 institute and it is NASP approved. I was educated about school psychology from Don during a careers class and from that day forward I was hooked. I knew I loved working with kids, doing research, and problem solving and school psychology had all of those components. My professional interests include me trying to get special education service providers and general education providers to work more as a team. Professionally, I try to be more involved in general education than what is expected of me through my internship. My hobbies include the following: hunting; watching my shows; putting together scrapbooks and picture albums!
Kara is from Wichita, KS and earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Wichita State University. Kara states, "I chose UMSL because of the program's focuses on prevention and early intervention and because the research interests of the faculty closely aligned with my own. After my interview with the faculty and meeting with some of the graduate students, I realized how supportive everyone in the program was and what a great sense of community exists here." Kara's professional interests include cultural competency and diversity, social-emotional and behavioral intervention, and mental health promotion. Some of Kara's favorite activities include reading, running and biking, and board game nights.
Katya is originally from the St. Louis area, earned her Bachelor's in Dance, and has been a special education teacher for the last 4 1/2 years. Katya explains that she "chose UMSL because it was close to my family and affordable. Also, after meeting with Don and Mike, their dedication and passion for school psychology was contagious and made me both excited and motivated to pursue my own career with their expertise and guidance." Katya's professional interests include: Education Advocacy, Social Emotional Interventions, Written Expression Assessment, and Systems-Wide Programming. Some fun facts about Katya are: she loves St. Louis sports, dance/theatre, and loves to travel.
Kristy grew up in Columbia, MO, where she attended Mizzou. She received her Bachelor's of Science in Textile and Apparel Management. After working in the business arena for several years, her experiences volunteering with local youth fueled her interest in working toward a related graduate degree. UMSL has been the perfect place for her to pursue her professional aspirations, while balancing her role as a mother. Kristy’s professional interests include: Preventative mental health practices in schools, multicultural competence, and program evaluation. In her free time, Kristy enjoys yoga, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
Lindsay is from Illinois and earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2014. She has worked as an ABA behavioral therapist for a year. She says “I chose to attend UMSL because I felt valued and at home from the second my interview began with Don and Mike.” Lindsay’s professional interests are behavioral interventions, program evaluation, English language learners, and advocating for mental health care. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys skiing and playing the piano.
Rio earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Saint Louis University in 2013. Rio said, "I came to UMSL because I have seen the positive impact UMSL students have in the Saint Louis community and wanted to be a part of that. Also, the School Psychology program has a practitioner focus. This program offers support and opportunity beyond that of any other program I have experienced." Rio's professional interests include: Applied Behavior Analysis, improving mental health services in schools, and program evaluation. Rio enjoys traveling, organizing her calendar, and playing with her puppy.
Paul is originally from Sacramento, CA, but went to Saint Louis University for a bachelor's degree in Psychology. While working at City Garden Montessori School, a charter school in St. Louis, he realized a passion for working with kids. UMSL's School Psychology program provided a way to serve and advocate for kids and families. Some of his interests include: homeless youth, school mental health, positive teacher-student relationships, positive behavior support plans, dropout prevention, and culturally competent and sensitive decision-making. IN his free time, Paul enjoys rock climbing, biking around the city, and going to music concerts. (Currently doing his internship in Philadelphia, PA)
