*The following is a message from Irene Gonzalez-Herrera, Recipient of the Dr. Chester Collins Memorial Psychology Scholarship

As a low-income, first-generation college student I faced many adversities and thought higher education was out of my reach. With the support and encouragement from people around me, I graduated from HSU with a Psychology degree in spring of 2016.

Currently, I am still at HSU in the last semester of the Academic Research master’s program (Emphasis: Developmental Psychopathology). I am so grateful to be the recipient of the Dr. Chester Collins Memorial Psychology Scholarship. This scholarship, among other scholarships I’ve received throughout my academic career, has eased my financial burden.

Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to develop skills in my field of study that would have otherwise been compromised without this assistance. With the opportunity to focus on my academic career I’ve had the opportunity to conduct research and volunteer with various organizations in the community.

In the fall, I will be applying to doctoral programs in school psychology and clinical psychology. In the future, I hope to teach and conduct research at the university level while providing services and interventions to the most under-served communities.

Thanks to the scholarships I’ve been awarded during my undergraduate and graduate career, I will be graduating debt-free. My educational pursuits would not have been possible without the generous support from scholarship donors. Thank you for enabling this opportunity!