Graduate Student at Niagara University

Sal V.

Attending college has been largely influential in shaping me into the person I am today. I have attended Niagara University since I was 18 years old – prior to that I was a student at Niagara Catholic and before that, Prince of Peace. The values of hard work and studiousness were instilled in me by attending these institutions, values which have been fortified by attending Niagara University. I have received two degrees from Niagara University, and I am currently working on my third, a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling.

My first degree was a BA in Psychology, which was followed by an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies. Psychology is a passion of mine, and I believe it has come to be such a passion because of my desire to help others. During my undergraduate career I held internship positions at local elementary schools, working under the school counselors. I interned at Prince of Peace for a semester, and worked with the same pre-school teacher that was my teacher growing up. I also interned at Maple Avenue Elementary school for a year, which was an experience I will continue to be grateful for. I worked with many children that came from less-than-ideal upbringings; I did all that I was able to do to make a positive impact on these kids, including one on one meetings, hosting group discussions, and visits to the homes. In addition to my internships, I worked on research with Dr. Timothy Osberg to investigate binge drinking in a college population. This research compelled me to continue participating in research that could potentially make a positive impact on society. Future research that I conducted or participated in included an attempt to lower the stigma of mental health disorders, an investigation into pseudoscience, and research into evaluating and improving the efficacy of eyewitness testimony.