UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sophie Paolizzi will represent the Department of Psychology at the College of the Liberal Arts commencement ceremony on May 4. The Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar is graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a minor in Italian. She will be escorted by Kenneth N. Levy, associate professor of psychology.
During her time at Penn State, Paolizzi was involved in many different activities and organizations. She served as a research assistant in the Laboratory of Personality, Psychopathology, and Psychotherapy Research. Paolizzi played for the Penn State Women’s Ice Hockey Club for four years, where she also served as team captain this past season. She was a THON chair for the team for three years as well.
In addition to her research assistant position and athletic involvement, Paolizzi also was part of the Liberal Arts Academic Integrity Committee. As a member of this committee, Paolizzi and her peers would go through academic integrity violations and decide what actions should be taken.
With her studies, Paolizzi became interested in psychology after taking advanced placement psychology in high school. She originally wanted to be a therapist but has decided to combine her passion for research and psychology to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology.
“I knew I wanted to pursue psychology for a long time, and Penn State's program of study allowed me the flexibility to cooperate with excellent faculty and student mentors in the department that supported my academic growth. My relationships with faculty here at Penn State were unique compared to my competition and stood out to programs across the country,” said Paolizzi. “I also had the opportunity to pursue studies in Italian and participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities that kept me well-rounded as both a scholar and an individual.”
This fall, Paolizzi will begin working toward her doctorate in clinical psychology at Penn State.
To students in the College of the Liberal Arts, Paolizzi shares the following advice: “The wonderful thing about a liberal arts major is the freedom it gives you to pursue opportunities you are passionate about. Take full advantage of this by trying out different research labs, getting involved with many organizations on campus, and taking a wide variety of classes to find your niche. Do this as early as possible! As you progress through your education toward your final years, choose experiences more selectively. It is best to pursue experiences that help you refine your academic identity and support your ultimate career goals (i.e. internships, RAships, TAing for relevant coursework). Consulting others, including advisers, faculty and student mentors, will be a huge help in this process.”
This is the 10th in a series of stories on the 22 student marshals representing the College of the Liberal Arts at the spring 2019 commencement ceremony.