Psychology - Recent Graduates
Recent Graduates
Psychology
Angela Bonavita '18
Bonavita, a board-certified behavior analyst and clinic director at Cross River Therapy in North Carolina, credits the unwavering support she received from her professors with giving her the confidence to push beyond her limits academically and professionally.
"Thanks to the knowledge and resources provided to me by the professors in the program, I was given the tools I need to move forward with my education and become confident in my future as a behavior analyst," Bonavita said. "I owe an immense amount of my success to Dr. Martasian and the rest of the psychology department faculty - both full time and adjunct - as I would not be prepared to take on the world and the future of my education without their support and guidance."
Bonavita said the broad range of courses she took during her academic career introduced her to a variety of career paths, but it wasn't until she took Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis that she truly discovered her passion for psychology. "Of all my experiences as a psychology major, what has made the most impact on me has had to be the relationships I was able to build with both students and faculty within the department," she said. "I was never afraid to take a leap of faith, whether academically or professionally, because I knew that I had an incredible support system.
"I would advise incoming students to be open minded about new experiences or classes based on their interests, and to not be afraid to take that leap of faith if they feel it is right for them," she added. "Being open to new ideas and experiences will ultimately lead you to your true passion."
Elizabeth Janick '17, '18 (M)
A desire to work with youth led Janick to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology at Salve Regina. During her sophomore year, she applied for a job at Momentum, a behavioral health agency that provides services to children with special needs throughout the state of Rhode Island.
"I took an entry-level job working with children with intellectual disabilities simply to gain experience in the psychology field," she said. "During that short summer working with Momentum, I fell in love with behavior analysis and knew that was the specific field that I needed to focus my degree in."
That experience led Janick to enroll in Salve Regina's combined bachelor's/master's program for psychology and behavior analysis. She earned her bachelor's degree in 2017 and completed her master's degree in 2018. "I still love the work I do with Momentum," said Janick, who is now a board-certified behavior analyst and director of home-based services. "My Salve education gave me the tools and knowledge to make a difference in clients' lives."
Janick said she is applying the concepts learned in her behavior analysis courses in her career and everyday life. "I have been able to make better suggestions for changes or additions to my clients' treatment plans, and I have been able to apply concepts I learn immediately," she said. "I have been able to see the concepts and intervention strategies actually in action, being applied and making a difference."
Alexis Jankowski '18
Jankowski attended Boston College's Lynch School of Education to earn her master's degree in mental health counseling and is currently a senior research assistant at Boston University's Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
"Looking back on my time at Salve, I think that it is remarkable that each professor has helped to shape my academic and future careers outside of just being a professor that I have learned from in class," Jankowski said. "This is one of the wonderful things about Salve, and it happens outside of the psychology department as well – the faculty and staff here really care about their students and want to see them succeed in whatever they do."
Jankowski worked closely with several faculty at Salve Regina. She praises the insight and experience shared by Dr. Kevin Fontaine, who guided her independent study in abnormal psychology. And she thanked both Dr. Kaitlin Black and her advisor, Dr. Paula Martasian, for all the "guidance and wisdom" they shared on everything from course selection to graduate school decisions to life in general.
"The faculty in the psychology department have been such a big part of my success, and each of them have shaped my experience in some important way," she said. "They pushed me to pursue the things that I want to do."