Kathleen Fitzmaurice is a senior psychology major who has leveraged her unique experiences and involvement to find her passion for supporting at-risk individuals and to develop her interest in a career in social work. She has gained firsthand experience in the Education and Human Services career cluster by working with individuals in adverse situations and through her role as a Community Assistant for Residential Life. Her diverse professional background, psychology coursework, and use of resources at Binghamton University have helped her earn a place in Binghamton’s Master of Social Work program next fall.
Read more about Kathleen’s experiences here:
- What is your major/program at Binghamton and how did you know that was the right choice for you?
At Binghamton, I am majoring in psychology with a minor in education. Throughout my life, I have known that I have always wanted to go into a field where I can make a difference in someone’s life. Through life experiences, coursework, and work experience I have never been more sure that social work is the field I want to enter.
- What is your career goal?
My career goal is to become a clinical licensed social worker. My goal is to explore different types of agencies that work with at-risk populations and work in higher education. I am excited to continue my education and pursue my passion for helping others as well as social justice.
- How did you decide that is the career for you?
As a student with learning differences, I have struggled my whole life and I have had to persevere through many challenges. Luckily, I have had the support of many individuals in my life who have advocated for me and supported me. I want to be this person for others and I know I can make a difference through my dedication, commitment, and compassion for helping others.
- What has been your favorite class you have taken at Binghamton and how has it influenced you in deciding on a career?
My favorite class that I have taken at Binghamton is a course I am currently enrolled in, Children with Exceptionalities. I chose this class as my 400 psychology seminar which is taught by Dr. Lanora Duell. I have enjoyed the coursework that we have learned, especially IEPs, 504s, and disability rights. This correlates to what I want to do in the future as I want to work with students with disabilities and this unique class allows me to explore this. In this course, we do Exceptionality Studies, Special Topics in Special Education presentations, and discuss course content including different types of exceptionalities, culture linguistics, diversity, policies, practices, and programs. This class has helped me gain a larger understanding of this population and how important it is for people to be aware of the inequalities individuals may face.
- What activities/clubs/organizations are you involved in and what skills have they helped you develop?
On campus, I am a member of the psychology club, TOP soccer, and education club. I also work for Residential Life as a Community Assistant. In my residential life role, I support approximately 70 residents by helping to connect them by promoting engagement, belonging, and well-being. I have utilized skills such as effective communication, active listening, and problem-solving. I volunteer with the Office of Transfer Student Success as a peer mentor and volunteer. I also co-founded a new club called The Binghamton Association for Transfer students with 3 other students. In this club, I am the Vice President and TSS liaison. In these organizations, I have learned how to manage my time as I am involved in multiple commitments and also need to ensure I am doing well academically, mentally, and physically. Additionally, I have utilized public speaking skills as I speak at multiple events including orientations, transfer panels, and admissions events. Lastly, communication is extremely important to ensure you are maintaining professionalism and providing necessary updates and information to individuals.
- Who is your mentor? How have they helped you develop your interests?
Transferring to Binghamton after obtaining my Associate’s Degree was challenging as I did not know if I would find my place. I was extremely lucky that I attended the TRANSFERmation Summit where I met Laura O’Neill and she has been someone who I can always go to. Ms. O’Neill works for the Fleishman Center as a Career Consultant and has helped me and my success academically and professionally. She has helped me develop my interests by assisting me in career planning, graduate school searches, and preparing for my job in residential life. I truly believe she has been a mentor for myself and other students and she has made me feel like I have an amazing support system.
- What internships or jobs have you had? How did they help you develop your interests?
At Dutchess Community College I worked off-campus at a senior living residential agency as a Community Associate. In this role, I was able to gain hands-on experience in the field during the pandemic when my fieldwork was canceled. I was able to obtain insight into the struggles the residents overcame throughout their lives like racism, military service and PTSD, family struggles, CPS, and many other topics. On campus, at DCC I worked multiple jobs including being a peer mentor and student aide for the Office of Accommodative Services, and a student aide for the Office of Information Technology. In the Office of Accommodative Services, I helped families understand the process of becoming registered with the office, provided information on documentation, and spoke to several agencies to ensure the students were submitting what was needed. I also worked on teaching students how to use assistive technology when the technology specialist was out. Lastly, I helped work with the Think Ahead program that provides the opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities, more specifically young adults, to experience college, audit courses, and gain life and job skills. This helped develop my interests as I could see how my work can make a difference and I loved going to work every day. Lastly, I worked for Information Technology and even though this is not directly related to my degree I was able to gain more knowledge on how we can utilize technology to help individuals succeed and how we can make it more accessible.
At Binghamton, I work as a Community Assistant for Residential Life in the College in the Woods living community. This job has helped me develop my interests as I am able to meet one-on-one with residents and gain connections to be a resource for them to be successful. I also create and carry out events for my residents, the building, and the community as a whole and it is amazing to see everyone come together for a common interest and hear different perspectives and life experiences. Overall the values and goals of residential life align with my interests and I believe that this role has helped me gain perspective and competency when dealing with unfamiliar challenges.
- What skills have you learned from your experiences?
Overall, the experiences I have been fortunate to encounter have provided me with several strengths that I feel will make me a better practitioner. Some of these skills include empathy, ethical decision-making, communication skills, active listening, problem-solving, and resilience. I believe that as social workers in our ever-changing society, we are crucial in ensuring that we fight and advocate for the rights of diverse clients, and promote social justice, well-being, and health. We have an opportunity to be of service, make a change, and help create policies that will ensure that there are resources in place to help all individuals. These experiences have helped shape my approach and I am grateful for the opportunities.
- How have you leveraged your experiences in college to develop your career interests?
I have been fortunate to have a lot of professional experience that directly relates to my career interests. I believe these experiences combined with my coursework from both my associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree provide me a solid foundation and unique perspective going into the field. I have been able to explore working with different populations ranging from school-aged to elderly individuals which has given me more understanding of individuals’ needs. Through these experiences, I have developed strong relationships with faculty and employers which has helped me with career development and opportunities for the future.
- What advice would you give to a student who is unsure of what major or career they want?
I would preface that it is entirely ok to not know what you want to do. You have time to explore your passions and different possibilities. I would advise them to utilize resources like the Fleishman Center to discuss different avenues to pursue, join clubs on different interests, and speak with faculty, staff, and professors to see if their work or research is something they are interested in.
- What are your plans post-graduation?
Post graduation I will be continuing my education at Binghamton University within the Master of Social Work Program. My goal is to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker and work with individuals with disabilities.
- What campus resources have you used during your time at Binghamton and how did they help you?
At Binghamton, I have utilized several offices that have helped me. I have used the Fleishman Center to help with interview preparation, resume building, personal statement, graduate school selection, and many other things. I have utilized Transfer Student Success to feel more connected to campus and find community on campus. Another office I believe aided in my success is the University Tutoring Services as I have had some amazing peers who have helped me navigate coursework. Overall there are so many campus resources and it is important to utilize them as they want to help you succeed.
- Is there any other advice that you would like to share with Binghamton students?
Get involved as much as you can. You experience this once in a lifetime and it is important to make the most of it. Even though it is hard to put yourself out there it can be very rewarding in the future as you will have so many connections and relationships whether they be social or professional in nature.
