Announcing Fall 2023 Psychology Engagement Awards
We are pleased to announce the Fall 2023 Mortensen Donor Awards Psychology Undergraduate Engagement Award recipients: Purvaja Kavuru, Veronica Livscheets, and Kelly Wu.
This award is a $500 scholarship to recognize a psychology major's engagement in volunteer work and unpaid internships in the community. This award intends to provide financial support to those who participate in real-world learning experiences beyond the classroom.
Purvaja Kavuru, Psychology BA Spring ‘25
Kavuru’s journey as a deputy campaign leader for The Alpha Urbane Project’s Human Habitat Initiative fused her academic pursuits in psychology with her passion for helping those in need. Kavuru’s studies in social psychology have highlighted the profound impact of social influence and the role of collective action in driving change. During this experience, she had to mobilize over 100 students from her school to join the campaign. This experience reaffirmed her belief in the transformative power of compassion that individuals can make when they use their knowledge and skills toward positive social change. Through psychology, Kavuru aspires to continue contributing to the well-being of their community and the world.
Veronica Livscheets, Psychology BS Fall ‘24
Livscheets worked at a psychology center in Madrid called Salud, Mente, Cuerpo. Livscheets shadowed and monitored patients as well as created sample treatment plans and wrote monthly blog posts for the center. She also met weekly to discuss progress with the therapists and to discuss intercultural non-Westernized therapeutic approaches utilized in Spain.
Kelly Wu, Psychology BS Spring ‘24
Wu is currently a crisis counselor with the Crisis Text Line. There, she provides crisis intervention, peer counseling, information, or referrals to callers on the agency’s 24-hour crisis lines in a non-judgemental manner. She also develops specialized, individualized plans to assist in identifying, minimizing, or resolving problems. Wu can provide support, evaluate, and assess individuals with acute/severe problems related to substance abuse, and mental, or emotional problems. Wu says that volunteering as a crisis hotline texter is and has been a great experience to not only support those in need but also allow her to use skills learned throughout her four years as a psychology student.
Composed by Madison Stromberg, communications assistant.
