Patricia Charczuk ’17, a first-year graduate student in the specialist in school psychology program, has received the Audrey J. Grupe Fellowship in School Psychology.
Charczuk obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology from Illinois State University. During her undergraduate career, she took advantage of various opportunities to get involved with the Department of Psychology. For example, she worked on several research studies, served as a teaching assistant for multiple classes, and held leadership positions with Psi Chi Honor Society and the Student Psychology Association.
Charczuk also sought out opportunities to gain hands-on experience working with children and did so through an internship with a School Psychologist, part-time positions in the lunch and after-school programs at Metcalf School, and various other volunteer experiences at the Normal Public Library and Epsilon Sigma Alpha.
“I always loved the idea of working in a school setting,” said Charczuk. “My experiences as an undergraduate student greatly contributed to my genuine passion for psychology and working with children. School psychology is a unique field that encompasses each of these factors and allows for collaboration with other professionals to make meaningful changes in children’s lives, which is why I chose to pursue this career.”
The Audrey J. Grupe Fellowship in School Psychology was established and funded by gifts from Audrey J. Grupe and Mary Jane McCarthy, to recognize the financial aid they received while pursuing their degrees and to commemorate their professional careers. They wish to help fellowship recipients, from their home states, earn graduate degrees in school psychology so that the recipients might provide services to children and their families in a school setting. Applicants who accept admission to the specialist program in School Psychology and hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in Illinois or Indiana are automatically considered eligible for the Grupe Fellowship.
The Grupe Fellowship in School Psychology awardee will be recognized at the Department of Psychology’s 2017 Alumni Day Awards Ceremony Friday, October 20, at 3:30 p.m. in 551 DeGarmo Hall. The department will also hold its annual Alumni Day Dinner later that same evening at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano.
