Igniting Her Passion

Alaina Elliott ’20 has taken advantage of everything Mount Mercy has to offer. She juggles school work, extracurriculars, and recently had her work published in the Iowa Psychologist Association’s newsletter.

This was such an accomplishment for me. I was very thankful for the opportunity to be featured.

MMU: You were published in the Iowa Psychologist. What was that experience like?

AE: It was an amazing experience. After attending Iowa Psychological Association’s (IPA) spring conference in 2019, the editor for the IPA Newsletter contacted me about being featured in the fall newsletter. I took the major parts from my poster that I presented at the conference and submitted that to the editor. I currently have a copy hanging on my fridge. This was such an accomplishment for me. I was very thankful for the opportunity to be featured.

MMU: What attracted you to Mount Mercy’s Psychology program?

AE: I was attracted to the program after taking introduction to psychology with Dr. Jen Lee. I knew after taking that course that my path would be changing. I loved the wide array of topics that could be studied in psychology. The psychology department faculty and people like Dr. Tom Castle are what keep me at Mount Mercy.

MMU: What is your favorite MMU memory?

AE: Getting accepted into the Psi Chi Symposium at the Midwest Psychological Association’s (MPA) 2020 conference was a big accomplishment for me. I will be presenting a poster about research that I conducted with Dr. Jaclynn Sullivan at the MPA’s spring conference. The research involved learning and memory performances with video and PowerPoint lessons.

MMU: Do you participate in any extracurricular activities that you feel have enhanced your education and given you new career and life skills?

AE: I am the president of the Psychology Club and have been both a teaching and research assistant at MMU. These experiences will help me stand out in grad school applications.

MMU: Do you have any advice for other psychology students?

AE: Ask questions, read your assignments, and take the initiative. The department faculty can help you and may be able to provide you with resources and opportunities. If you are planning to apply to graduate school, it’s important to get involved with faculty and help with their research.