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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Laura TetzlaffPsychology, 2011

Personal Statement

Personal StatementMy name is Laura Tetzlaff, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you for admission to the Graduate School of Psychology. The field of psychology has always been of interest to me. Understanding the intricacies of the mind, how thoughts are processed and why people respond in a specific way to certain stimulus and environmental factors are all areas I would like to pursue in my future schooling. Ultimately, my goal is to obtain my master’s degree in mental health counseling and become a licensed counselor for the state of Ohio. Currently, I attend Argosy University and my GPA is a 3.89. I have maintained this GPA while working through school this last 6 years. In May 2009, I received an Associate of Arts degree from Lorain County Community College. I took classes there for another year, then made the switch to Argosy University Online for my Bachelor’s degree in 2010. I will graduate with my Bachelor’s of Psychology in March 2012. My on campus experience at Lorain County Community College and my online experience at Argosy University have, together, given me a diverse background of classes in the social work and psychology fields. Not only the class work, but the people I have met online and in person have come from many ethnicities, social groups, and age groups. This experience with diverse people and settings prepares me for working in a setting that cares for a diverse population. My work background shows a dedicated employee who works hard to pay for her education. Working as a property manager for five years for A-Z Management company, I met people from many countries around the world who all came to work as doctors and researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Often, there was a language barrier, so patience, understanding, and clear directions were essential when communicating with my tenants. Here, I learned that a smile is comforting and inviting in any language and made my tenants feel at home even though they had just arrived in the United States hours ago. In 2005, I changed jobs to work as a bakery clerk for Heinen’s grocery stores. Heinen’s was the grocery store my family shopped at, so I was familiar with their high expectations for excellent customer service. This job also afforded me the opportunity to attend college while my children are at school, and work evenings and weekends around my school schedule. I have achieved role-model status on my semi annual reviews and am one of the top paid bakery clerks due to my skill and strive for an amazing customer experience at Heinen’s. Not only do I serve customers by focusing on sales, but I also multi-task by training new employees, following strict cleanliness guidelines, and ensuring the there is always fresh product packed and ready for the customer to buy. Working, caring for my family and maintaining a 3.89 GPA in full time college courses is probably the greatest multi-tasking feat I am still accomplishing daily. Working with disabled juveniles as a counselor is something I am very interested in. This type of counseling is near to my heart because my youngest daughter is physically disabled. Born with a condition called arthrogryposis, she has struggled with basic life tasks since birth. I was so appreciative of the counselors she has had over the years, whether they be school counselors to help her adjust to the routine of elementary school, or counselors at the hospital where she has surgery, they have always been able to work with her to not feel that she is at a disadvantage to other children her age. These people have touched my heart by making my daughter laugh instead of cry and understand that she is important too. These experiences are what makes my drive to become a licensed mental health counselor stronger. I look forward to discussing with you how my life experience, education, and people skills have properly prepared me for graduate studies at Walden.

Resume

Laura Tetzlafflaura.tetzlaff@live.comEmployment HistoryBakery Clerk - August 2005 to PresentHeinen’s Inc. 4540 Richmond Rd.Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44128(216) 475-2300Leasing Agent – June 2000 to July 2005A-Z Management Co.3439 West Brainard Rd. Suite 250Woodmere, Ohio 44122(216) 831-9110Bank Teller - December 1999 to June 2000Huntington Bank917 Euclid AveCleveland, Ohio 44115(800) 480-2265Education

Argosy University Online - BA Psychology – March 2012Lorain County Community College - Associate of Arts Degree – May 2009Beaumont School – High School Class of 1997

Reflection

Over the past 18 months with Argosy University, I have learned theories, fundamentals, and applications of psychology in order to further my education at the graduate level. Some of the areas I have found strengths in are:

Able to choose from and appraise a wide range of psychological perspectives and theories within written and oral presentations.

When presenting (in written work or orally), can illustrate multiple perspectives on a given topic.

Able to analyze the complexities of a given issue.Able to collect and arrange information from a variety of sources

pertinent to the chosen topic, integrating reasoned appraisals of such information into the work of a project in psychology.

Exhibits the ability to develop and apply appropriate levels of conciseness and clarity in content, language use, grammar, organization using APA formatting.

Exhibits the ability to develop, apply and defend a particular stance related to psychological concepts in written work.

Essay of Competency

I have worked hard to complete the necessary requirements of a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Argosy University over the past 18 months. Areas of competency due to completion of core requirements from the University are: Cognitive abilities, research skills, communication skills, ethics and diversity awareness, knowledge of the foundations of the field, knowledge of applied psychology, and interpersonal effectiveness. Cognitive abilities I have gained are critical thinking skills and the ability to write research papers and literature reviews to APA sixth edition standards. My research skills were used to find scholarly articles and information to support my papers. Communication skills are honed through weekly discussions with other classmates that require sensitivity, patience, and understanding. This also plays into my ethics and diversity awareness, which is formed through sociology classes and experiences with other students from many backgrounds from all around the United States. Knowledge of foundations of the field was gained by learning about Freud, Pavlov, Skinner and many other psychology forefathers. Applied psychology was learned through responding to scenarios and discussing with other students different ways of handling clients in a professional setting. Not only did I research different techniques to use while counseling, but I also applied those techniques during writing assignments. I mastered interpersonal effectiveness through my communication with other students and professors in the courses at Argosy mainly through weekly discussion questions that required me to respond to several other students and also answer questions to my own discussion post. All of the classes taken during my time at Argosy University lend themselves to an aspect of the necessary tools for becoming a mental health counselor in the future. The bachelor’s of psychology program at Argosy University focuses on ethics, diversity, communication, and the foundations of the psychology field. This will give me a solid basis for studying at the graduate level.

My Future in Learning

I am going to continue my education in the mental health counseling field in graduate school beginning June 2012. Then, I will take licensing exams and become a mental health counselor in the state of Ohio. Staying up to date on current research in the field and continuing the learning process is essential to best serving my clients.

Contact Me

Thank you for viewing my ePortfolio.

For further information, please contact me at the e-

mail address below. laura.tetzlaff@live.com