For Serife Turan, receiving a scholarship that included membership in the Texas Association of School Psychologists meant access to a plethora of networking and educational opportunities.
Turan, with Fatima Sanchez. d’El Campo, both graduate psychology students at the University of Houston-Victoria School, were awarded diversity scholarships at the Texas Association of School Psychologists’ annual convention in November. Additionally, Elise Hendricker, associate professor of school psychology at UHV and director of the school psychology program at UHV, received the award for Council Member of the Year at the convention.
We are extremely proud of Dr. Hendricker, Serife and Fatima and the recognition they have each received,” said Kyoko Amano, Dean of the UHV College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Serife and Fatima represent what it means to be a Jaguar, and Dr. Hendricker is an exceptional faculty member who goes above and beyond for her students. We congratulate them all for this well-deserved recognition at this conference.
The Texas Association of School Psychologists convention is held annually in the fall. This year, the three-day convention was held in Sugar Land, which made the convention much more accessible to students, Hendricker said. Each year, the school’s psychology program pays for two students to attend the convention because the event is important to their career development. With the convention being held locally this year, the school’s psychology faculty encouraged more students to attend. The program hosted a networking lunch which approximately 20 UHV alumni and students attended.
The Diversity Scholarship Fund is a new initiative launched by the association this year, Hendricker said. A social justice committee within the organization organized fundraisers for scholarships for students and members from underrepresented backgrounds. The scholarship includes membership in the association for two years and admission to the annual congress. Both students received a framed certificate.
“Culturally and linguistically, it’s important that there are school psychologists who fit all student populations,” Hendricker said. “It is amazing that the first two recipients of this scholarship initiative are from UHV, and it is a great opportunity for both students to further engage with the association and with others in our field. “
Turan, who lives in Katy and is originally from Turkey, was delighted to have the opportunity to attend the convention, meet colleagues and listen to speakers discuss important current topics, including ethics. in school psychology. As someone who grew up in another country and spoke English as a second language, being awarded a diversity scholarship made her feel like her heritage was recognized and made her feel more at home.
“It’s a nice feeling to receive a scholarship that encourages and celebrates diversity,” said Turan. “It was a great experience to listen to so many great open minds in this field and to meet so many people. We all had a great time together and I am grateful to receive this scholarship and this opportunity.
For Sanchez, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that she was also a recipient of the scholarship. She applied near the deadline, which was just before the conference. During the conference, she also enjoyed attending the sessions and learning from the speakers, including a discussion on marginalized youth. She also enjoyed meeting and talking with school psychologists and learning more about what to expect when she graduates.
“This semester, I was trying to be more involved. I felt scared and shy, so this scholarship means a lot to me,” Sanchez said. “This scholarship motivates me to expand further in the field and do what I need to do.”
Hendricker was also surprised to be named Board Member of the Year. Although she had been a member of the association and had attended the annual convention for many years, she wanted to be more involved. She joined the TASP Board of Directors earlier this year to chair the Shortage and Workforce Committee, a new initiative of the association. The association’s mission is to promote the field of school psychology because there is a shortage of school psychologists statewide and nationwide, Hendricker said. Since Hendricker had done previous research and work in this area, she was invited to join the board in this capacity.
Although she had a steep learning curve in her first year on the board and the organization, Hendricker enjoyed learning more about TASP and being a board member. There are several shortage-related initiatives the association is working on to promote and support school psychologists, including surveys to understand the issues school psychologists face in the field and advocating for ways to improve graduate training. to increase the number of future students. psychologists. For his award, Hendricker received a plaque.
“Getting this award was great and unexpected,” Hendricker said. “I think what we’re doing to address labor shortages and that’s a priority for the organization is really important to our field, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
In addition, two UHV students from the psychology program of the doctoral school also made a presentation during the conference. Lydia Abbott and Olivia Izulu, who are interning at the Spring Independent School District in Houston and in the final year of the program, spoke at a session for graduate students. They were part of a roundtable on the internship experience.
“We are very proud of the different ways UHV has been represented at the conference this year,” Hendricker said.
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