Interview with my Mentor

Where did you go to school?

I earned my BA in psychology from National University, and my MA in psychology from Pepperdine University. 

What is your background in research?

I volunteered as a research assistant at The Center for Understanding and Treating Anxiety at San Diego State University's Department of Psychology, and The Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorder Program and The Positive Emotion and Anxiety Research Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego's Department of Psychiatry. 

Do you do other volunteer work?

I volunteer my time as Secretary of the Board of Directors for Street of Dreams--Musicians for Education out of San Diego, Western Youth Services out of Los Angeles, and The Anxiety and Depression Association of America's (ADAA) Public Education Committee. 

What memberships do you belong to?

I am a member of the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (ABCT). 

Do you contribute to any blogs?

I recently began blogging on the Huffington Post, as an affiliate of ADAA, discussing anxiety and depression. 

What are your future plans?

I will be applying to doctoral programs this December in hopes of earning my PhD in Clinical Psychology. 

Thank you for this information. I am looking forward to us working together on this project.

The Proposal

20% Written Proposal 

This page outlines my proposed project.

1. What is your project?

My project is to develop an online resource for high school students to explore how their brains learn and think about concepts. 

2. Who will you work with?

I plan to work with my step-sister, Sarah. I have chosen her for my mentor because of her background in psychology and counseling. She is a researcher and will be able to provide valuable assistance to me on this project.

3. Who is the audience?

My audience will be high school students. 

4. Why is this project worthwhile?

This project is worthwhile because it is important for students to understand that they may think and learn differently than others. It is valuable to research informative sites and consolidate the resources into one area. 

5. What do you expect to learn from this project?

First, I want to understand how my mind thinks and learns. Then I want to extend my insights to others. In doing this, my learning can be extended to a broader audience.

6. What product will you show at the end of the year?

I will show a web page that is complete with links to videos, online assessments, and factual websites.

7. What sort of expenses will be involved?

There may be some costs to have myself tested by some experts to better understand how my brain works. 

8. What sort of equipment will you need?

I will be working with my mentor using gotomeeting. I will need a computer with a video camera and access to gotomeeting which I have through my parents' office.

9. What is the timeline for completing your project?

The final project will be completed by the date set. I will work weekly on the project until its completion.

How We Learn Introduction to Project

I am interested in learning about how our brains learn and why some people learn by traditional methods more than other people who do not learn by traditional methods.

Traditional methods include commonly used forms of teaching in school like lectures, note-taking, worksheets, or textbook reading and responses. These methods reach the traditional learner, but how do non-traditional learners learn?

Exploration of themes such as learning styles, brain processing physiology, dyslexia, and online assessments that uncover how best we learn will be explored.

I want to create an online resource about how we learn for high school students who feel different than other students and need to understand the way their brains work and what techniques will help them be most successful.