Hannah's SMSU Journey: A Psychology Major's Perspective

Hey Future Mustangs!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is back in the swing of things. I don’t know about you guys, but I am ready for spring. It is right around the corner! My name is Hannah Kuno and I am a Psychology major and Justice Administration minor and I think that SMSU has really been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am originally from Montevideo, Minnesota, which is only 45 minutes from Marshall. I was looking for a school that was close to home and I only seriously looked at two schools. When I came for my first visit, I could tell that this is where I wanted to be and where I wanted to further my education.

I originally was undecided when I came to campus. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a major nor a career. It was hard for me when everyone was asking “What are you majoring in?” and “What do you want to do after college?” These are the two biggest decisions that a high school senior has to make in the last few months before graduation. My first few semesters on campus, I took general classes in just about every area. I really enjoyed my Psychology and Justice classes so that is why I chose to pursue a Psychology major and Justice minor.

There are many options available for Psychology majors. They can go to grad school right after they receive their bachelor's degree, or they can find a job and work for a few years and they will still have the possibility of going back to school and furthering their education. Because I am graduating in December of 2017, I am seriously thinking about my options. As of right now, I am looking at getting a job after I graduate, working for a few years, and keeping the possibility of grad school as an option for later down the road.

As a part time job, I am employed at New Horizons Crisis Center. I help with a program called Parenting Time, which is a program for parents who have lost custody of their children and need supervised visits. I am hoping that this job will help me get my feet wet in the area that I would like to go into because I am considering pursuing a career in child protection. In my opinion, this is a very hard job but a very important one. With a Psychology major, someone could go into just about anything that deals with people (which is almost any job out there). Having many options with this major is very helpful, especially for someone who is unsure of what they are wanting to do for a career.

I also work in the Admission office on campus, and I get to give tours to prospective students. This is one of my favorite parts of my job in the office because I get to talk about why I chose SMSU and why it is a great place to be. Working with people is definitely a passion of mine.

 I feel as though SMSU really helped me in breaking out of my shell and becoming a more outgoing person. This will help me for when I get job interviews and also in aspects of my career. I enjoy working with and interacting with people. By getting involved at SMSU, you can meet tons of different people. I am involved in the Ambassador program and I am also an Orientation Leader. Being able to share my experiences with incoming students like yourself is what really keeps me going.

My biggest advice that I would give to someone that is undecided and is not sure what he or she would like to do is, start with doing everything and narrow it down from there. You will not know what you like and do not like if you do not try it! Take chances and make the best of it.

Good luck in everything you do!
Hannah Kuno