Angel Schramm
Hometown: Zeeland, MI
Program: MA
Book I would recommend:The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Favorite Quote: “Yet, even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.” ― Hayao Miyazaki
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I’ve been running a freelance business for about ten years now! I draw digital art for clients all around the world. It started very small, but now it’s enough to pay most of my bills.
Name a cause you are passionate about.
Other than mental health awareness and advocacy, which seems a given for a psychology student, I’m very passionate about environmentalism, sustainable science, and living. I really hope that one day soon in our society, humanity is able to live alongside nature and animals in a balanced, respectful, loving ecosystem. Nowadays it feels like we do so much taking, without giving much back to the earth that provides for us.
Why did you choose MSP?
It’s very difficult to find a good master’s in clinical psychology program nearby in the midwest, and being close to my family and friends is very important for me. Of course I would have made a move across the country if need be, but it so happened that someone told me about MSP during my search. I was really impressed by the faculty here and the work that they do. It quickly became the school I wanted to attend first and foremost.
What do you plan to do with your degree?
I want to be a humanistic therapist, helping people through this difficult thing that we call life. I grew up with a lot of anxiety, isolation, and am a trauma survivor myself. So I came into adulthood knowing how lonely that life can feel without someone to support you, and truth be told my therapist during my young adult years really changed my life. It’s amazing what just being heard and supported can do for a person who did not have those things before. I’d love to help more people have a similar experience, if I can.
Alongside that, I’m really enthusiastic about learning and constantly growing as a human. There is a lot that needs to be done in the field of multicultural, intersectional mental health and disability advocacy in the world, and I think that’s a niche I would like to fit in.
What is your plan after graduation?
After graduation I’m planning on finding an office to immediately start therapy work in. I like to think of myself as someone who is very adaptable, and who “goes wherever the wind takes me.” So I’ll find a little office where I can settle down, or move around where the work leads me, and just focus on helping people. Doesn’t matter the pay, the place, the job – it’s helping people that’s most important.
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