Amber Lopez ‘21 recently completed an internship with Dr. Melissa Root and Root Success Solutions, giving her a glimpse of the career path she plans to follow. She said she became interested in studying psychology from the time she began as a student at Mitchell and plans for a career in experimental and research psychology, after completing graduate school. 

“As a sophomore I decided I wanted to pursue a career in research and examine why and how things happen.”

During her 11-week internship, Amber worked with Dr. Root on various initiatives, including planning and conducting a two-week study around the use of Calmpak placards, a system of relaxation recordings designed by Dr. Root to manage stress. The goal of the study was to find out how two variables – placement and introduction of the placards in residence halls – influenced their use.

“Placards were hung in all four of the upper campus dorms. Two dorms received an introduction to the Calmpak placard via a paper flyer that outlined the benefits of breathing techniques and how to scan a QR code. To see how placement affected use, two dorms had placards hung in the lobby and laundry room, while the other two had posters hung in the dorm halls and bathrooms. We tracked whether or not someone used the Calmpak placard by assigning unique websites for each placard. For example, if someone in Simpson Hall scanned the QR code on the placard, they’d be sent to a version of the Calmpak website designed specifically for Simpson. The placards were hung for a total of two weeks and we logged the data daily.” 

Mitchell College’s Institutional Review Board and the Office of Residence Life assisted with the study by approving the research to be done on campus and, because COVID restrictions limited non-resident access to campus housing, by distributing the placards in the residence halls.

 “Throughout my internship I had the pleasure of working with a number of departments. I was amazed by their support, especially that of Katrina Feyerherm, director of residence life. She volunteered a lot of her time to help me get the Calmpak placards in the dorms and asked for nothing in return. I also worked with Dr. Daniel Kresge and Dr. Tara Broccoli in order to get approval to do research on campus. Both professors were very helpful throughout the process and offered advice and feedback that shaped the study in meaningful ways. Their guidance was a valuable part of my experience and helped me realize how the Mitchell community is built around supporting and helping each other.”

In addition to the study, Amber conducted a literary review on a number of topics, including new breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation activities. She also researched the benefits of guided meditation and relaxation.

Read The Calmpak Study findings here.

Senior Sam Law found the perfect opportunity through his internship at Glow Up Therapy to put some of the skills he has acquired over the years through the Mitchell Ability Model to work. Critical and creative thinking, communication and technology literacy all came into play as Sam researched and wrote social media and blog posts for the mental health practice in Mystic.

“I wrote about mental health topics, like stress and gaslighting. I was lucky that my internship was remote, so I had the ability to work on my own time. I worked almost every day researching or writing drafts, and I tried to relax on Sundays.”

Winding down a busy senior year at Mitchell, Sam, a resident assistant, did face some challenges.

“Time management was a challenge, as my internship coincided with my work on my senior capstone project, which is studying how to use exercise to treat anxiety. My internship supervisor and I worked out an effective system, though, that allowed me to plan out my week and break down my work.”

A general psychology major with a minor in family development, Sam credits his internship with helping to solidify his future goals. He has thought about being a therapist from a young age, when he realized he liked making people feel better about themselves and less anxious.

“Through my internship, I was able to gain experience in a work environment I was not familiar with. My internship pointed me in the right direction for my future career, affirming that I want to be therapist and use my ability to understand the meaning in what people are saying and to empathize with them.”