College Experiences That Helped a Program Evaluation Specialist at University of California San Diego Succeed
Merissa's undergraduate research assistant roles in prominent UCLA psychology labs, working with "people that also worked with Michelle Krask and John Passantini," significantly shaped their career trajectory as a Program Evaluation Specialist. This experience, including "poster presentations," provided valuable networking opportunities and skills that remain relevant and beneficial throughout their career.
Research Experience, Networking, Mentorship, Higher Education, Psychology
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Merissa Kado-Walton
Program Evaluation Specialist
University of California, San Diego
UCLA 2014
San Diego State University, MA in Psychology
Psychology
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Data and Analytics
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Get involved in research early by volunteering in labs and working as a research assistant.
2. Network with professors and build relationships; they can provide valuable letters of recommendation and mentorship.
3. Participate in activities like poster presentations to gain experience and build your resume; these experiences are additive and beneficial even if you change research areas later on.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad that set you up for success in your career?
I started as a research assistant in two labs at UCLA: Michelle Craske's lab and Dr. Lavenda Passantini's lab. I'm naming them because I didn't realize at the time how significant they were in the anxiety research field, or just the psychology field in general.
I ended up working with people who also worked with Michelle Craske and John Passantini. My grad school mentor worked with both of them, and people I work with now recognize those names.
UCLA, in particular, has a wonderful psychology program. If you're majoring in psychology, I'd advise getting involved with the professors. They're great people to know and will write you letters of recommendation.
Volunteering in those labs is one of those things I didn't anticipate would follow me for so long, but it has. It's still a topic of conversation with people I meet in my career.
So, I'd say get involved as soon as you can. If you can do a poster presentation or anything like that, do it. It will always help you later on, even if you decide to change research areas. Those experiences don't go away; they're all additive.
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