Ever since she arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in September 2016, Sydney McDonald, a senior psychology major with a criminal justice minor, has pursued as many hands-on learning opportunities the university offered as she could. She knew that these experiences would enable her to gain the knowledge, skills and experience she needed to excel in her chosen field, social work.
What she didn’t realize at the time, however, was that these experiences would also allow her to develop a deeper, more compassionate understanding of others and the world.
After she earns a Bachelor of Science in psychology from UW-Platteville this May, the Janesville, Wisconsin native is planning to pursue a Master of Social Work at UW-Whitewater. After earning an MSW, she hopes to work as a licensed social worker at a Wisconsin correctional institution.
McDonald was initially inspired to pursue the field of psychology because, throughout her life, she has always felt the need to help others.
“My friends would always come to me whenever they needed advice, to talk through issues or to help brainstorm a solution for a problem,” she said. “Whenever this happened, I felt as though it came so naturally to me to help others, and that’s when I knew that this was what I needed to do.”
McDonald chose to attend UW-Platteville because of the unique hands-on learning opportunities it offered, and because her grandfather, father and three of her four older siblings attended the institution. “I felt like I needed to continue the tradition,” she said.
Internship, Dean of Students Office
This spring, McDonald is participating in a psychology internship in UW-Platteville’s Dean of Students Office. Working closely with Melissa Stoner, interim prevention and education coordinator at UW-Platteville, McDonald is helping conduct peer education throughout campus. This involves creating and running programs that help promote awareness of sexual violence, alcohol safety, healthy relationships, consent and resources that are available on campus.
As part of the internship, McDonald also leads the student organization Pioneers Educating and Empowering other Responsible Students, or PEERS. She and other group members help Stoner give presentations to members of university student organizations on a variety of topics, including those mentioned earlier as well as bystander intervention.
One of McDonald’s main internship responsibilities was to conduct research on a topic about which she was passionate, then create an educational program to share with students. After choosing the topic “consent and alcohol,” she spent approximately three weeks researching various scholarly articles and journals to better understand the intersecting relationship of alcohol and consent. She then created a pilot program “Where Do We Draw the Line: Alcohol and Consent.” In March, McDonald and Stoner will present the pilot program to fellow PEERS members, then analyze the flow of the program and work out any bugs in the presentation. In April, they will present the program to members of the Greek Life student organization for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“What I enjoy most about the internship is how much freedom I have,” said McDonald. “Melissa has given me so many opportunities to be creative and insert my input into many things that are happening on campus. This internship gives me the chance to change things on campus for the better and, in turn, hopefully impact students in major ways.”
“I hope that when I graduate from UW-Platteville, I will have left a lasting mark on the campus’s climate in a way that fosters students’ abilities to be responsible and educated in many important topics, such as sexual assault, alcohol safety and bystander intervention,” she added.
“What impresses me most about Sydney is her willingness to take on a challenge,” said Stoner. “She is dedicated to growth and to learning; she never shies away from the opportunities she has been given. I have enjoyed working with her and admire her dedication to the field of social work. She is going to do amazing things.”
The internship uncovered a passion for peer education that McDonald did not realize she had. “It helped me see the process in which programs at a university come to be,” she said. “It has also given me insight into how to effectively research and create programs that will definitely help me in the future, as a social worker in a correctional institution.”
Internship, correctional institution
In spring 2019, McDonald participated in another internship opportunity that enabled her to gain job-related skills, this one at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution, a medium security state prison. There, McDonald and a number of her classmates co-facilitated a 12-week forgiveness discussion group for inmates, which included leading group discussions about topics in the book “Forgiveness is a Choice: A step-by step process for resolving anger and restoring Hope” by Dr. Robert Enright, founder of the International Forgiveness Institute.
The collaborative internship experience, conducted at PDCI each semester and summer since September 2018, enables students majoring in psychology to gain critical, hands-on experience in their fields and in restorative justice, a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. The students’ goal is to provide inmates with an opportunity for personal growth and development in a safe and informally-structured environment.
“This internship experience made me realize that I definitely wanted to help with programming in correctional institutes, which, in turn, inspired me to become a social worker,” she said.
“I have always been impressed by Sydney’s openness, curiosity and maturity,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gates, chair of the Department of Psychology at UW-Platteville. “She has been a joy to work with in class, and I’m thrilled that she’s chosen to pursue a career in social work.”
Why McDonald loves UW-Platteville
When asked what she loves most about her education at UW-Platteville, McDonald said, “I love how small the campus is, and I love the small class sizes. It makes it that much easier for anyone to feel at home, and enables students to make connections within the classroom, with other students along with professors. Because of the smaller class sizes, there is a personal connection between professors and students that you really can’t get at bigger universities.”
McDonald said she also loves how much her psychology professors stress the importance of students pursuing hands-on experiences while they are at UW-Platteville.
“They are so helpful in notifying all psychology majors of internship opportunities, and the staff make it that much easier to make connections and gain insightful experiences through internship experiences,” she said. “In the Department of Psychology, I have not met one professor who is not 110% passionate about what they are teaching. It makes us, as students, feel like they truly care about our education.”
“When I think about Sydney, the word that comes to mind is ‘engaged’; whether in classroom or online discussions, Sydney puts herself fully into the activity, offering excellent points to consider as well as supporting other students with her words of encouragement and behaviors,” said Dr. Theron Parsons, professor of psychology at UW-Platteville. “I’m thrilled that she’s getting some recognition for all her efforts; she certainly models the social work values of respect, autonomy and advocacy.”
Personal qualities that ensured McDonald’s success
McDonald said her time management and interpersonal skills have been instrumental to her academic success.
“I have always had exceptional time management skills, which has helped me balance my education, internships and part-time employment and made me successful throughout college,” she said. “What has made me truly successful within my internship in the Dean of Student’s Office, and throughout the psychology program, are my interpersonal skills, which have improved tremendously throughout college.
“I am a very approachable, warm and inviting person who makes it easy for anyone to come to me for help, which is especially important in the field of social work,” she added. “I also just have a passion for helping anyone and anything, which enables me get out of my comfort zone and try new things.”
Challenges
Throughout her life, McDonald has faced a number of challenges that have given her insight and compassion for others, including those with whom she will be working someday.
“I have had my own struggles with mental health that, honestly, a lot of college students face today,” said McDonald. “I have had my own battle with depression and social anxiety, which has driven me to pursue social work. My social anxiety just pushes me to get out of my comfort zone more and more, even though it can be extremely difficult for me. I want to be able to advocate for people like me who struggle with their mental health on a regular basis.”
Overall, McDonald is thankful for these experiences, as they have changed her in a positive way.
“I would not be the person I am today if I had not experienced these struggles with my mental health,” she said. “These struggles have only created an even deeper passion in me to help others. Having personal experience with mental health honestly makes it that much easier for me to understand others in regard to their own mental health needs, because I know what it is like.”
Importance of family
McDonald is thankful for the love and support she has always received from her family – and for the example they have set for her.
“My family inspires me every day,” she said. “I come from a big family where I have four older siblings. My parents have worked incredibly hard to make sure that my siblings and I succeed. My father has worked two jobs for over 20 years, and he went back to school in his 40s to become a teacher. My mom worked three jobs when she went to dental hygiene school and has now been a dental hygienist for 25-plus years. My parents have set an incredible example for me for what hard work truly is, and I could never repay them for all that they have done for me and my siblings.”
Looking ahead
When she graduates in May 2020, McDonald hopes to work in a correctional institution where she can help rehabilitate inmates so that their reintegration into society is not only possible, but that they can lead meaningful lives outside of prison.
“Mental health is a huge issue within the prison population, and I want to help this population get the treatment and care that they deserve,” she said. “I hope to be an integral part of helping inmates with rehabilitation and integration into society outside of prison. This really all starts with their mental health. I want to help inmates better understand their mental health and give them the tools to help them. If I can help at least one inmate be successful in their transition and eventually lead an overall happy life outside of prison, that would be a huge accomplishment.”