{"id":16086,"date":"2020-09-16T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T03:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/?p=16086"},"modified":"2022-11-10T09:16:31","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T14:16:31","slug":"spotlight-melissa-mueller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpa.ca\/fr\/spotlight-melissa-mueller\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight: CPA Graduate Student Affairs Officer Melissa Mueller"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou\u2019ll never be more than a 70s student.\u201d
\n– Some Grade 12 math teacher in Calgary, one time<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"MelissaMelissa Mueller is a fighter. Figuratively speaking, that is, in that she\u2019s determined and focused. In Grade 10, a friend mentioned in passing that she was able to talk to Melissa about her problems without fear of everyone else finding out. She decided at that moment, in Grade TEN, she would become a psychologist. Two years later, her Grade 12 math teacher told her she\u2019d never get better marks than 70s. She determined then and there that her goal would be to obtain a PhD. She\u2019s currently a few steps away from obtaining a PhD in psychology.<\/p>\n

Melissa is also a fighter \u2013 literally. She is a boxer, and trains at a local gym in Calgary (Rumble) when she\u2019s not at school. \u201cIt\u2019s a way to blow off some steam\u201d, she says \u2013 and as busy as Melissa is, it\u2019s important to make time for self-care and relieve the pressures of school, practicums, COVID, and everything else.<\/p>\n

As it has for almost all of us, COVID has created some stress for Melissa. As she returns to the University of Calgary in the fall, all her classes are now online. But as a TA, she does have to go to the campus to teach a lab. As a school and applied child psychology student, any practicum that she does will likely be in a school setting as schools re-open with a lot of uncertainty. And as the CPA Graduate Student Affairs Officer, the process of recruitment, retention, and communication with Graduate Student Representatives across Canada has changed a good deal as well.<\/p>\n

\n

TAKE FIVE with Melissa Mueller<\/h4>\n

What is the psychological concept that blew you away when you first heard it?<\/strong>
\nSomething I found out while learning about CBT \u2013 which is the way we can separate thought from emotion\u2026 that you can change the way you think about things which can change the way you feel about them which can in turn change your behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can listen to only one musical artist\/group for the rest of your life. Who is it?<\/strong>
\nNoah Schnacky, a country singer I discovered on TikTok. He\u2019s quite young, so he\u2019ll be building a catalogue for many years and I can hear all the new stuff that way!<\/span><\/p>\n

Favourite book<\/strong>
\nAnything by Nicholas Sparks. I think my current favourite is Safe Haven<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Favourite word<\/strong>
\n\u201cGregarious\u201d. I had to learn it while studying for the GRE, and I think it sounds amazing.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you could become an expert at something outside psychology, what would it be?<\/strong>
\nInterior design. Right now I go to Pinterest for all my ideas, but it would be pretty cool to be able to create spaces with the knowledge and intention to facilitate a certain atmosphere or \u201cfeel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

She always struggled with math in high school. Trying to keep numbers in her head while doing a calculation was not her strong suit, and she would get confused and mess up even relatively easy equations. What turned things around for her was a pretty simple accommodation. At some point in math class, as you start to do more advanced things like algebra, calculus, and trigonometry \u2013 they let you have a calculator. Now Melissa no longer had to keep all those numbers in her head, and she could focus on the important stuff \u2013 the actual math problems.<\/p>\n

It was struggles (and solutions) like these in school that led Melissa down her current path. She is in the School and Child Psychology program, because she knows that all children learn things a little differently. She can empathize with them and wants nothing more than to help them overcome similar struggles to those she herself had when she was younger.<\/p>\n

Melissa\u2019s last practicum was at a school for kids with severe disabilities. There were many specialists who worked there, in a holistic environment that took into account the idea than few disabilities exist in a vacuum, and there is often correlation between difficulties. For this reason, the school employed psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists among others.<\/p>\n

This is one of two dream scenarios for Melissa post-graduation. She wants to work in a school with an interdisciplinary team \u2013 and also run a private practice where she has more direct personal control over direction, treatment, and outcomes. It seems very likely she will end up doing both, and few people are likely to dissuade her. Or maybe somebody will tell her she can\u2019t do both \u2013 which will all but guarantee that she will.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Melissa<\/p>\n

Melissa Mueller is the CPA\u2019s Graduate Student Affairs Officer, collaborating with Graduate Student reps on campuses across Canada. She is also a boxer.<\/p>\n

Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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