Alison Walensky

Class of 2013, B.A. in Psychology

Where have you worked and/or studied since you graduated from USC?

I am currently a Teach For America corps member in Brooklyn, NY. I work at Empower Charter School as a 4th grade teacher. I am also getting my MSE in Special Education Grades 1-6 at Brooklyn College.

What was the most beneficial thing you did as a student at USC to prepare you for post-graduation?

The most beneficial thing I did as a student was internalize the psychological studies I learned about in my classes.  Many studies mentioned in class or textbooks has helped me work well with people in the real world.  Having a background knowledge of psychology has also helped me with my students.  I was able to identify red flags for dyslexia, ADHD, and an eating disorder and direct those students to the proper adults in the building for help and guidance.

What course did you enjoy the most?

One of my favorite courses at USC was Animal Behavior.  It ties many areas of psychology together and created more questions than it answered.  Students were encouraged to push their thinking and draw their own conclusions about findings in the field.

If you were an undergraduate again, is there anything that you would do differently?

I would have started both of my majors my first semester and planned out my courses more specifically. There are so many classes I wish I could have taken at USC, but in the end I didn’t have the time or the schedule to explore everything because of work and extracurricular activities.