2024-2025 Mortensen Donor Awards for Psychology Undergraduate Engagement

At The Advocates for Human Rights, I volunteer as a translator and interpreter for immigrant families, many of whom are facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives. I help them navigate complex systems, ensuring they can access resources, understand their rights, and feel heard. As an immigrant myself, this work is more than just service; it’s a reflection of my own journey and values. The Mortensen Award allows me to continue supporting these families while dedicating myself fully to my education in psychology.

I work as an intern at the Hennepin County Public Defender’s office. This role is connected to my award as it aligns with my psychology major by allowing me to apply my studies in a practical setting. Through this work, I interact with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, advocating for their needs within the legal system, where such issues often require greater attention and care. The Psychology Engagement Award provides crucial financial support, allowing me to balance my academic responsibilities, extracurricular activities, and internship workload without the added stress of financial concerns. I am deeply grateful to the faculty who helped me reach this point, and I sincerely appreciate being a recipient of this award.

When I graduate in the spring of 2025, I will have a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in family social sciences. I am honored to have had the opportunity to intern at Tubman Chrysalis Center in Minneapolis, which focuses on survivorship of domestic violence and now offers an array of services beyond such. As a resource advocate, my specific role was to find and connect people to services ranging from shelters, attorneys, and support groups, just to name a few. I chose this internship because it’s near and dear, and very personal to me.

As an in-unit pediatric volunteer at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, I provide direct support to pediatric patients and their families. Through this experience, I have witnessed firsthand how psychological well-being plays a vital role in patient care, from the importance of emotional support to the impact of a positive environment on recovery. Volunteering has allowed me to apply my background in psychology by recognizing the emotional and cognitive needs of pediatric patients, understanding how stress and hospitalization affect development, and utilizing supportive interactions to promote comfort and resilience.

Anna serves as a Mock Interviewer with BestPrep, a Minnesota nonprofit focused on equipping students with business, career, and financial literacy skills. In this role, she conducts practice interviews with high school students, providing personalized feedback to improve students' communication and professionalism. She supports students in developing the confidence and skills necessary to succeed in future jobs and internship opportunities. Volunteering with BestPrep has strengthened her commitment to making career readiness resources more accessible to students of all backgrounds.

I am a volunteer at the Aurora Center on campus and I work as a violence prevention educator. I present information about sexual violence to raise awareness of the growing problems related to sexual violence. I am also an advocate for victim survivors and provide confidentiality to those who want to share their stories with me. This financial support assists me in my work, so I can spend more of my free time on this work. I have another job currently, which hinders my availability to do these presentations, so having the financial assistance allows me to miss work when needed.

Composed by Madison Stromberg, communications assistant.