2020 OSSI Fellows describe their experiences in one word.
Quotes from the Fellows
“I honestly did not know that 4 days could change my life and the course of my future as this has. I have been able to receive such amazing advice from my mentors regarding making my personal statement and CV the best they can be and offering experienced perspectives on what to expect in graduate school and with a PhD in an organizational science. I could not have gotten such great support and guidance from any others. You all have truly opened up my mind to the possibilities I may have and encouraged me to have confidence in my abilities and experiences. I never thought I would want to go to the East Coast, especially for several years, so bad! I’m extremely excited to look more into the OS program and to continue this application process that I once felt was daunting….I taped my “optimize” paper to my wall to encourage me and remind me of all I learned this special week. Passing by and seeing it makes me smile!
Savannah Leslie, OSSI Fellow ’20
San Diego State University
Industrial-Organizational Psychology
“I am so thankful that the program was able to continue virtually and that I was able to gain so much from the experience as grad school prep rather than a research workshop. I learned A LOT from the advice and personal experiences you both shared with me. In fact, I wanted to compile a short list of things I learned during the week to let you both know how much of an impact you’ve made! There are, of course, many more things I could add to this list but these are just a few highlights. I am also grateful for the continued support and willingness to help me as I take on this journey.”
• Not everyone going into grad school knows their specific research niche beforehand, and that’s totally okay because there are programs that will allow you to grow, develop, and change.
• Rolling masters and interdisciplinary I/O psych programs exist.
• A PhD program allows for growth in ways that go far beyond academic knowledge.
• The journey that is grad school doesn’t have to be scary, I can now look forward to being challenged and disciplined rather than being fearful of not meeting expectations (of both others and myself).
• Failure and allowing yourself the opportunity to fail can actually be something beautiful and a valuable learning experience.
• I am in a better position than I thought I was, so I need to stop self-doubting and overthinking!”
Sophie Stypelkoski, OSSI Fellow ’20
University of Florida
Psychology
