Jennifer Aussicker, School Psychology Portfolio

In 2018, I began attending Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison Campus) as a Nursing Student. After one year in Nursing, I decided to change my major to Psychology. This was one of the best decisions of my college career. Instantly, I was on the path I knew I was meant to be on. I took classes such as Ethics and Introduction to Sociology, but my love for Psychology truly fostered in classes like Child Development, Social Psychology, and Crisis Intervention. Soon, I grew interest for Criminology, and added that as a minor. By the end of my undergraduate career, I had completed 38 credits in my Major, and 15 in my Minor.

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Throughout my undergraduate career, I worked at the local YMCA as an after-school counselor. In this position, I was able to foster meaningful relationships with children, parents, and staff, as well as assist the children in completing homework and building strong relationships with their peers via play and interactive activities. This position also helped foster my love for psychology, as well as working with children and their families.
 

Immediately following my graduation from Fairleigh Dickinson University with my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Minor in Criminology, I began working in the school setting as a Behavioral Intervention Paraprofessional at an Extended School Year (ESY) program in the summer of 2022. This experience changed my view of the inner workings of schools, Special Education, and Psychology in general. After the ESY summer session concluded, I continued to work as a Behavioral Intervention Paraprofessional during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. Working as a paraprofessional truly opened my eyes to the needs of various students and how they are addressed. My duties in this role included: taking interval and Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence (ABC) data on student behaviors in a General and Special Education setting; teaching effective coping and calm-down strategies to students to assist them with big feelings; initiating positive social strategies with my students and their peers; and communicating with school professionals about progress the students were making and how to best support their needs. To date, this was one of the most difficult and rewarding positions I was lucky enough to have. Each day presented its own new challenges, but the progress made over the course of the two years I was in the position, the staff I was able to collaborate and make connections along the way, and the students I was able to help over the years was so incredibly meaningful.

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During the same time that I became a Behavior Intervention Paraprofessional, I began my Masters/Education Specialist Program for School Psychology at Rider University. I decided, given my background in psychology and working with children, that this would be the best avenue to take that would allow for both of my interests. Working as a Paraprofessional while completing a 64 credit Graduate degree was no easy feat, but it was the route I needed to take to get me where I wanted to go. Quickly, I learned the importance of organization, time management, prioritization, and self-care. I was able to collaborate with my small cohort of 15 students- working on projects together, studying together, and leaning on one another to gain insight or ideas for different things. 

Together we will be graduating in May of 2025 with our Masters/Education Specialist Degrees. The first two years of this program included in-person and virtual classes ranging from Introduction to Research to Advanced Intervention for Children, Adolescents, and Families. The third and final year of this program included two semesters of a 1,200 hour internship. I was fortunate enough to complete my internship and complete the necessary assignments (such as an Individualized Education Plan, Behavior Intervention Plan & Functional Behavior Analysis, and Psychoeducational Report), in tandem.

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As I eagerly await my 2025 graduation, I reflect on my professional journey and the hard work and dedication it took to get me here. I am extremely proud of my ability to be flexible, determination, interpersonal skills, and consistent effort that were crucial to completing this journey. I greatly look forward to the journey I will soon begin as a School Psychologist, and all that I will learn and grow to be along the way.