Esther Lo

Class of 2010, B.A. in Psychology & East Asian Languages and Cultures with Minor in Sociology

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

I have since graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work 2012, and now work as a mental health coordinator at University Settlement Society of New York. My current project hopes to expand mental health services to older adult New York City residents.

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 during USC was taking Dr. Farver’s honors class in Psychology. I was able to conduct my own research with Dr. Huey, on investigating and exploring effective psychotherapy treatments for Asian American college students who were going through depression. I was involved with recruiting my own research team to help in coding and analyzing the results.

What course did you enjoy the most?

Although I am a psychology major, I had enjoyed my sociology course work tremendously. I have seen many overlaps in Psychology and Sociology, the micro and macro levels of human behaviours and patterns. I find learning about the changing family systems in Sociology most beneficial, it is with my clinical background in Psychology and interest in broader social issues that led me to pursue a clinical degree in social work at Columbia and now working as a mental health coordinator in the New York community.

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

Right now, I can’t think of anything I would change if I were to start undergrad all over again. I felt like I have made use of resources at USC fairly well. USC will always have a special space place in my heart, no other colleges have given me the same feelings.