Devon Schroder

Throughout my academic career, I was never a particularly strong student. It was not
because school was too hard, but because most subjects did not interest me and I could
not see how they applied to my life in any real meaningful way. After graduating high school,
I enrolled in the Iowa State University College of Engineering, but shortly before the first
semester ended I withdrew and came back home. I took a yearlong break from school to
work full-time in retail, which became a great motivator to return to school. After that year
of working and figuring myself out, I decided I wanted to come back for psychology.

My experience at Normandale over the last year and a half has been very
meaningful. My psychology classes and professors have deepened my understanding of
human behavior and increased my interest in psychology as a field. I find myself now
looking at my own behavior and the interactions I observe every day through a
psychological lens. I often reflect on how I reacted to something and ask myself if it
matches my values and the person I want to be. Through studying psychology, I have gained
insight into myself and how I show up in the world, and I have been able to apply what I
have learned to strengthen my relationships with friends and family, as well as the
relationship I have with myself.

These courses have not only shaped my education and future career goals, but they
have also changed the way I choose to live my life. Throughout my time studying
psychology, I have grown a lot as a person. I have redefined what is important to me and
what success looks like. I hope one day to work with others to help people grow into a
completer and more self-aware version of themselves.

^{All info expressed here represent the student’s personal story and perspective.}