Current Job: School Social Worker, New York City Department of Education; Psychotherapist, Healing Our Parts
Major: B.A. in Forensic Psychology
Mentors: Adjunct Professors John Walsh and Besiki Luka Kutateladze ’05
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Career Aspiration: Counselor

What was life like before John Jay College?
I was an only child raised by a single mom in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. My mom provided me with everything she could to enrich my education. She enrolled me in a dance program and encouraged me to participate in extra-curricular activities. My mom was a college graduate and instilled in me a love of learning. There was no question that I was going to go to college.

Why John Jay?
Growing up, I always felt like incarcerated people were not fairly represented. It made me want to support, listen to, and be a liaison for them. I wanted to work in a jail as a counselor. When I found out that John Jay had a new forensic psychology major, it seemed like the perfect fit for my career goals.

Were there any mentors at John Jay who helped put you on the path to success?
Professor Walsh’s classes really opened my eyes to all the possible career avenues I could take as a counselor. He told the class stories about when he was working on the force. I really appreciated his transparency and willingness to share his career experiences.

I took statistics with Professor Besiki (Kutateladze) and I really enjoyed it. He asked me and a few other students if we could assist him with his research on harm reduction. It turned out to be one of my favorite college experiences. We went out in teams in the Bronx and interviewed substance users. Right there on the street we saw how we could provide resources to a group of people who often went unseen. We even had meetings at the Vera Institute where we would talk about our experiences. That project really strengthened my desire to become a social worker. 

How did your life change while you were at John Jay?
One of the biggest things that happened to me was having a son, Liam. I had almost finished college when I found out I was pregnant. Being a student-parent was difficult, but thankfully, with my family's and professors' support, I stayed on track to earn my degree. My mother watched Liam when I was in class and my professors helped me find whatever I needed to get to the finish line. I took winter and summer classes because I knew I had to get my diploma to support my son. Now, he’s 15, thriving, and entering the 11th grade.

How did John Jay help prepare you for your master’s in social work program?
The courses I took at John Jay were in-depth and focused on the different skills you needed to succeed in your chosen career. In my master’s degree program—when other students were feeling intimidated by the different software used to analyze statistical data—I felt at ease because I used programs like SPSS (statistical package for the social sciences) in my stats course with Professor Besiki.

What’s life like working as a social worker?
I’m a middle school social worker in the New York City public school system. In my role, I’m there to support everyone—the students, teachers, and administration. If a teacher is feeling stressed, I’m there to listen to them. If there are concerns between the union and the administration, I act as a liaison. For the students, it’s a lot of hands-on work and “push-in” (within the classroom) programs. Along with regularly seeing individual students, I have a special student lunch group, girls’ group, and guys’ group, all to give the children social and emotional wellness.

On the weekends and evenings, I provide psychotherapy through Healing Our Parts to adolescents and adults. My caseload involves things like transitioning to adulthood, managing responsibilities, navigating the impact of social media, and creating healthy relationships. The number of therapists who are African American is very low. I know that my presence as an African American therapist has really helped some of my clients feel seen.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I love working for the New York Department of Education as a social worker. So, I want to still be doing that, but I’d like to become a clinical social worker. Through my psychotherapy work with Healing Our Parts, I’m working towards the clinical hours required for that license. I’m hoping to take the test in 2027 and one day open my own practice.