As the need for accessible mental healthcare grows, this year’s psychology graduates from TC are prepared to confront the challenges and barriers facing individuals in need of support. Some will continue their academic journeys in doctoral programs and research, while others will step directly into the field, making a difference through practical, hands-on care.
Ahead of the College’s Convocation ceremonies on May 18 and 19, we spoke with several psychology graduates to discover what inspires them and to hear about their aspirations for the future.
Meet Neha Badade (M.A. ’26, Developmental Psychology)
Hometown: Plainsboro, New Jersey
How She Makes an Impact: Badade aspires to be a physician who makes a difference with intention. “The idea of working in medicine has been with me since high school, but it was earning my degree in developmental psychology that gave that goal real depth,” she explains. “I hope to apply my scholarship in developmental psychology to working with women and children, whether in pediatrics, OB-GYN or somewhere in between.”
What Matters: Understanding psychology across the human lifespan through a holistic lens to better serve local communities. Her time volunteering at Mt. Sinai Hospital has been formative throughout the process. “My most meaningful experiences have come from sitting with elderly patients and listening to their stories, making them feel more comfortable wherever I can,” she adds. “I came to TC with an open mind and a willingness to try new things, and I hope these experiences have left a positive mark on those I connected with.”
Her TC Takeaway: "I appreciate how much support the school offers its students, whether it is through the numerous events to encourage engagement or through career services," Badade shares.
What’s Next: While Badade hopes to attend medical school, she will spend the next year working in healthcare in a clinical, patient-facing job. “My time at TC was filled with all kinds of interactions with fellow students, administration, security staff and professors,” she concludes. “The kindness shown by this community has genuinely helped me grow so much.”
Meet Yiran (Mirabelle) Du (Ph.D. ’26, Cognitive Science in Education)
Hometown: Wuhan, Hubei, China
How She Makes an Impact: Advancing the understanding of the psychology of failure, specifically how people process setbacks and how these experiences can foster growth. Through her work at the TC’s Education for Persistence and Innovation Center (EPIC) with Xiaodong Lin Siegler, the Cleveland E. Dodge Professor in Cognitive Studies, Du has supported efforts to examine more than 400 students’ real failure experiences and interviewed leading thinkers to understand how people cope with and find meaning in failure. “I hope my work helps educators and students reframe failure not as an endpoint, but as an essential source of learning and development.”
What Matters: Du is deeply motivated by her desire to help students understand failure in a more constructive way. “Many students experience intense anxiety or discouragement after failure because they’ve learned to see it as a threat to their ability or self-worth,” Du explains. “I want to help them view failure as a normal and valuable part of learning.” She is also interested in supporting parents as they guide children through setbacks, offering empathy and perspective rather than pressure.
Her TC Takeaway: “What I’ve appreciated most about TC is the warmth and openness of the community," shares Du. "It’s a place where individuality and intellectual risk-taking are valued, and people genuinely want to learn from one another.”
What’s Next: Upon graduation, Du will continue her research on failure psychology as a postdoctoral research fellow. “My goal is to develop practical strategies that help turn failure into a resource for resilience, persistence and innovation,” she concludes. “At TC, being surrounded by peers and mentors from diverse backgrounds, I’ve gained new perspectives and deepened my appreciation for the complexity of human learning and development.”
Meet Marissa Guerra (M.A. ’26, Spirituality Mind Body Institute)
Hometown: Brownsville, Texas
How She Makes an Impact: Guerra’s work sits at the intersection of psychology and yoga philosophy, translating complex ideas that can often feel abstract. “I want to help people reconnect to their inner life with clarity, integrity and depth, and to support teachers and leaders in doing the same,” she explains. “My goal is to bring spirituality out of the margins and into reality in a way that is grounded and inclusive.” Through her writing, teaching and digital content, Guerra has created spaces for people to engage with these teachings in ways that feel actionable in everyday life.
What Matters: For Guerra, integrating connection and meaning into her work is paramount. “I’m inspired by this idea that we are all born with an innate capacity for connection and depth, but that it often gets lost in the noise of achievement and performance,” she says. “Yoga brought me back to that truth and that transformation is what continues to guide my work.”
Her TC Takeaway: "I’m incredibly grateful for the community here at TC," shares Guerra. "Being surrounded by people who are genuinely curious about meaning, purpose, and human flourishing has been both grounding and inspiring."
What’s Next: She hopes to continue building on her work at the intersection of psychology and spirituality to reach a broader audience. “What I’ve loved most about my time at TC is the ability to study spirituality through both a scientific and human lens, and finding that they aren't separate, but rather two sides of the same coin,” she shares. “I hope to continue contributing to the growing field of spirituality and mental health in a similar way.”
Meet Joya Lahoud (M.A. ’26, Mental Health Counseling)
Hometown: Miami, Florida
How She Makes an Impact: Creating space for individuals to navigate interpersonal challenges and social anxiety in real time. Lahoud shares that working in group counseling has pushed her to think more dynamically and strengthened her ability to balance multiple perspectives while maintaining a supportive and cohesive environment
She is particularly proud of her role as a program representative in TC’s Mental Health Counseling program. “I work closely with faculty and peers to advocate for student needs and foster a stronger sense of community within my cohort,” she says. “This role has allowed me to contribute beyond the clinical space and support the broader student experience at TC.”
What Matters: Lahoud is passionate about helping others thrive. As a first-generation high school student, she shares that growing up, she looked up to her father, whose influence, along with her volunteer experiences, played a meaningful role in shaping her decision to pursue a master’s in Mental Health Counseling. “I appreciate the sense of community [at TC], through both my cohort and my role as a student representative.”
Her TC Takeaway: “TC has taught me the balance between strong clinical training and meaningful self-reflection," she shares. "My program has challenged me to think more deeply about how I approach clinical work, while also becoming more aware of how I show up in the room with clients.”
What’s Next: After graduating, Lahoud plans to work as a mental health counselor in New York and Florida, continuing to develop her clinical skills in a setting that values “strong supervision and evidence-based care.”
Meet Jake Winter (Ed.M. ’26, School Psychology)
Hometown: Minneapolis, M.N.
How He Makes an Impact: Providing high-quality mental health education to the students and families that he works with. Through his work, Winter aims to support students' overall well-being (physical, mental, social, academic, spiritual). “All students deserve a high-quality education that liberates their minds,” he shares. “I strive to create a school culture that is welcoming to students with differences.”
What Matters: For Winter, mental health education and student support are imperative. He shares, “I was inspired to pursue this field because I know firsthand that it can be isolating and overwhelming for students to navigate mental health challenges on their own.” Since beginning at TC, Winter has had the opportunity to work with diverse populations and is particularly proud of his fieldwork and internship experiences, where he can offer hands-on support. “I grew up with relatives with disabilities, and I also live with the disability of Bipolar Disorder type 1, and my treatment has been a success story,” he explains. “I hope to help students overcome difficulties while also achieving goals and widening their horizons as they look to the future.”
His TC Takeaway: “My professors are so knowledgeable and truly care deeply about their students,” he reflects. “I remain inspired by my classmates, too. We are all unique and share different perspectives. New York City is full of dreamers, and it has opened my mind to building a life that I never thought would be accessible to me!”
What’s Next: Winter hopes to build a “decades-long” career in school psychology and plant permanent roots in New York. “In my free time, I make music for fun and have been awesome being in community with other musicians and artists.”
Meet Katerina Yang (M.A. ’26, Social Organizational Psychology)
Hometown: China
How She Makes an Impact: In her organizational psychology work, primarily in the technology and healthcare industries, Yang focused on learning and development as well as employee engagement. “I developed learning pathways for employees at all levels, coordinated with vendors, and supported the facilitation of on-site training sessions,” she explains. “I also designed pre- and post-training surveys to capture employees’ expectations and feedback.” Yang also led an employee recognition program that highlighted high-performing employees, which helped enhance motivation and engagement.
What Matters: Yang strives to create environments where people feel supported and able to thrive. While working as a consultant, she observed how workplace dynamics can shape employee experience, including engagement, stress, and retention. “I’m curious to learn about why these patterns occur and what helps create more supportive work environments,” she explains. “This led me to explore organizational psychology more and develop a stronger interest in how this field can be used to design better workplaces.”
Her TC Takeaway: “What I’ve loved most about my time at TC is the people,” Yang reflects. “I was encouraged by so many voices here to step outside my comfort zone and expand my social network. That pushed me to attend alumni events, connect with a wide range of people, and build meaningful relationships both within TC and beyond it.”
What’s Next: After her time at TC, Yang hopes to stay grounded in her community work, inspired by the College’s emphasis on advancing true change. “I hope to focus on my work while exploring the possibility of living in another country, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new people,” she says.