Student Profiles

Art Therapy ’21

As an art therapist I hope to use my social justice education to address the realities of oppression, social inequities, and privilege in an ethical and thoughtful way. I hope to be an effective advocate for those in need of services who may have a more difficult time acquiring them.

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Secondary English Language Arts

“Lewis & Clark’s intense focus on social justice has showed me how important it is for me to be aware of my own privilege, and to think about how it affects my life and my decision making, especially in the classroom.”

Master of Arts ’19
Professional Mental Health Counseling

“I want to bring about positive change in the counseling field and be the counselor that I wish I had when I was younger.”

Master of Science ’19
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

“An ongoing ah-ha moment for me was realizing how much shame and anxiety can be liberated when a person finds the language to really talk about who they are and what they have experienced.”

Master of Arts ’20
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

“I know social justice for me includes learning where my privileges lie in order to offset the power I hold; taking up less space where needed; listening to experiences that are not my own; and being aware of my own biases and mitigating the negative effects of them.”

Master of Arts ’20
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

“My social justice education will be critical in my career, because it lets me see a bigger picture of personal networks, and how all the systems work together and intersect with each other. Moreover, it gives me a tool to help my clients to be aware of inequities and even challenge some of these unjust systems.”

Art Therapy ’21

Social justice means advocating for the rights of others, which includes access, opportunity, and worth. It also means empowering vulnerable peoples with the tools to achieve their potential.

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Elementary Education with ESOL

“The best part of the program is the community that you develop within your small cohort. I feel like my peers are my family and I am excited to go into my career knowing that I have a community of folks to lean on and collaborate with.”

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Secondary English Language Arts

“I wanted to pursue teaching because I believe in the power of education. I care deeply for those around me, and I want to work hard to help mold students who are not only confident in forming a strong thesis, but strong opinions and voices as well.”

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Elementary Education

“In education, social justice means amplifying marginalized voices and creating curriculum that honors all perspectives and experiences.”

Art Therapy ’20

Pursuing art therapy never felt like a choice ~ it has always felt like more of a calling. Art has always been there for me. Once I became privy to the option of pursuing a masters in this field, I knew it was what I should be doing.

Master of Science ’19
Professional Mental Health Counseling

“The social justice paradigm provides a framework for me to shape my counseling and research practices to fit the needs of people from all walks of life.”

Master of Arts ’20
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

“To me social justice means mobilizing my own privilege in order to dismantle systems of oppression. Social justice to me starts with the understanding of systems in place that perpetuate the oppression of others.”

Master of Arts ’20
Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy

“We know that the world is far from being socially just, so to me, striving for social justice means learning about oppressive systems, learning about cultures different from my own, engaging with diversity, examining my own biases or blind spots (constantly), and using my privilege to fight against oppression.”

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Elementary Education and ESOL

“Linda Griffin has rocked my math world. I tell my students about her all of the time and use so many of the ideas that she has shared with us in my classroom regularly. She’s someone who has seen us all cry, fail, laugh, and still unconditionally supports us.”

Master of Arts ’19
Student Affairs Administration

“I will use a social justice mindset to shape my daily actions and my longterm plans. Whether it is fighting for more diverse representation on task forces, pushing for the decreased emphasis in admissions on SATs and biased ranking systems, or critically examining on how basic events and activities are excluding those who are consistently overlooked.”

Student Affairs Administration ’18

“Social justice means that despite the many identities we all carry, we have the right to be treated equitably and exist without experiencing violence. Equity includes access to fresh and healthy food, stable housing, and education.”

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Secondary Biology

“I plan to teach science in an inclusive manner, meaning that I directly address social inequity issues that permeate throughout science historically and today, such as demographics of featured scientists, research credit, and access to healthcare, which directly impacts students and their families daily.”

Art Therapy ’20

Doctor of Education in Leadership ’19

“It’s rare to be an educator who hated school. I like to think I came back for kids like me.”

Art Therapy ’20

I am a Combat Veteran. This means my perspective is far different than my cohort. I tend to go with the flow, understand when to change things up, and I am patient. I also know that no matter how much stress I am under it will always be okay.

Master of Arts in Teaching ’18
Secondary Social Studies

“One of the biggest ways I can make an impact as a social justice educator is through using material that represents a diverse array of perspectives and issues, and allowing students to reflect on the material and how it relates to their own lived experiences.”

Art Therapy ’21

For me, social justice means addressing the fallout from unregulated capitalism. The marginalization of those who are disadvantaged and discriminated against results in a situation where many people have needs that are not being met; mental health is of course a huge part of that, but by no means the only part. I see social justice as active efforts to work towards less of a gap between the concern for profit and concern for people, no matter who they are or where they come from.

Master of Arts ’18
Professional Mental Health Counseling

“The benefits of therapy were instilled in me from very early on, and I’ve always wanted to learn how to hold that space for others who may gain support or a new perspective from it.”

Art Therapy ’20

I believe it is my duty to use my privilege within society to promote equality and power for those within marginalized communities.

Art Therapy ’21

As an art therapist, transparency and genuine adherence to self-reflection require an understanding of the implied freedoms to make choices that otherwise remain elusive to people of color and marginalized communities.