Where will you be living next year, and what will you be doing?
Vancouver, British Columbia – Currently I work as the managing partner of a boutique law firm in Vancouver, British Columbia. Having completed my ALM in Psychology, I will be pursuing a career in Sports Psychology in collaboration with my law practice. I am in the process of incorporating a company by the name of “Clutch State Training” that will focus on mental performance training for elite athletes. We will be utilizing virtual reality technology, mindfulness practices, and cognitive reframing to help athletes easily trigger a “flow state” (also known as “clutch state” in athletes) so that they can achieve success in high pressured athletic competition. This is a passion of mine, having previously worked briefly in the NBA before pursuing my post-secondary education, and I would not be able to pursue this career had I not completed my degree at the Harvard Extension School.
What advice do you have for Harvard HES students, now that you have graduated?
Use this opportunity to achieve your dreams as your HES experience can open up doors far and wide. I embraced the fact that Harvard gave me a chance, as a busy working professional, to gain quality education at a pace that was sustainable while balancing a busy career and helping raise three children. I was very interested in Sports Psychology and all of my professors encouraged me to focus on my interest throughout my ALM degree. Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance – one of my professors, upon learning about my interest in sports psychology, connected me with a classmate who was a scout for the Boston Celtics, and that was the first time my dream felt real.
Take the time to get to know your classmates whether virtual or on campus. They come from a diverse background and everyone was willing to help each other out. For example, I am in the process of helping a classmate try and gain funding for to make her capstone project a reality and we will be meeting in person in Vancouver, BC next week to start the process. Another classmate has also connected me with an editor at Psychology Today to see if they are interested in me authoring articles on the topic of Sports Psychology.
In what ways has your Harvard Extension degree impacted your career?
My degree has the potential to change my career trajectory in such a way that I have a real opportunity to achieve my dream job of helping athletes flourish in professional sports.
During my capstone project, we were required to reach out to key stakeholders. I aimed for the stars and contacted a few professional athletes with success. After receiving feedback on my project, I received an open invitation from a former NBA basketball player (and NBA champion) to connect in person and discuss my project further once the COVID-19 restrictions open the US-Canada border. I am also currently collaborating with an Olympic Gold medalist sprinter in relation to refining my mental performance training techniques.
I would not have had that opportunity without the Harvard name behind me and I fully embraced the Extension School concept. Whenever I explained the HES experience to people near and far, the response was universally one of interest and excitement.
