Casey Schwalen

My psychology classes, and psychology in general, have impacted my life primarily by changing my perspective on humans. My first psychology course at Normandale, Introduction to Social Psychology with Andy Tix, placed tons of significance on the Holocaust. I initially worried studying such a deeply traumatic event would make it hard to view humanity positively or even neutrally. However, he did a fantastic job of portraying the nuances and the social factors that go into Nazi behavior while not diminishing the trauma of the victims. Another fantastic course, Developmental Psychology: Life Span with Jennifer Martin, has only built on that foundation. It includes the additional context of how morality and one’s outlook change as one continues to age. She also placed an important emphasis on sex and gender, and how they influence the way those viewpoints develop. Though, as someone who intends to go into clinical psychology, taking Abnormal Psychology with Sanam Sarahbi has been the most influential. This class almost singlehandedly taught me how to do quality research. Being able to delve into research articles and reading a textbook that clearly details everything from the etiology to the treatment of a disorder has been revolutionary for my view of mental illness and disability. Andy Tix, Jennifer Martin, and David Lake have all been incredible mentors to me, and I intend to keep in touch with all three of them even after my Normandale education concludes.

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