Gabrielle Lirosi ’24 is spending a semester participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS). Gabrielle originally hails from Jackson, New Jersey and is a current junior at Roanoke College. She majors in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Crime, Deviance, and Social Control.

I interviewed Gabrielle to learn more about what she’s doing during her semester away!

This spring, Gabrielle is working for Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) as a Post-Release Intern. OAR works to “create a community where those impacted by the legal system enjoy equal civil and human rights.” Gabrielle’s team specifically works with people who have recently been released from incarceration to help them transition back into the community.

Describing her work, Gabrielle says, “some days I am booked with appointments working with our participants to find housing, arrange community service, build job applications, practice interviews, and so much more!” Her team communicates with probation/parole officers, group home mentors, and family members of participants to help build their support system. Gabrielle also frequently attends court to stay up-to-date with participants and share OAR resources with recently-released individuals.

Positively impacting people’s lives while gaining high-level professional experience is an average day for an LCWS student. This semester, Gabrielle has been assigned the designated point-person for a large project in which OAR is assessing their recidivism rates.

Gabrielle is putting her psychology background to work in the professional world! She says psychology students must consider participating in LCWS.

“So many focus on DC as the capital only seeing politics and ignoring the social sciences that reside in such a complex society! I’ve applied endless amounts of psychology work into analyzing the culture of DC and understanding my work at OAR! There are ample opportunities for any major, including psychology.”

According to Gabrielle, the networking and mentoring opportunities available for all students in D.C. are invaluable.

When she isn’t in class or working at OAR, Gabrielle is soaking up the culture of the nation’s capital! She loves making spontaneous plans with her roommates (pictured above). “There has never been a dull moment exploring the city,” she says, but it’s easy to find peace and quiet in one of D.C.’s many parks.

When I asked Gabrielle what her favorite memory from the semester so far is, she said, “seeing the cherry blossoms at sunrise was surreal, they are a token of DC and are in peak bloom right now.” But the famous cherry blossoms are tied with the interactive art of the Artech House for most memorable to Gabrielle.

Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!

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• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
• Twitter: @RC_Psychology
• Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
• Website:  http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
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Megan Onofrei ’24 is spending her semester in the U.S. capital by participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) program. A junior from Mesa, Arizona, Onofrei majors in Political Science with a minor in Psychology. Outside of the classroom, she plays defense for Roanoke College Women’s Soccer.

The Lutheran College Washington Semester allows Roanoke students to live and study in Washington D.C. while gaining professional experience through an internship. Onofrei is currently interning at the Normandy Group, a government relations firm.

Onofrei describes her internship as “well organized but also flexible and highly interactive.” Interning at the Normandy Group, Onofrei is “involved in all aspects of the firm’s responsibilities” but she notes that “I also retain the opportunity to attend Congressional hearings or networking events throughout the day that are related to the clients and projects that I am a part of.” This keeps her days “exciting and busy!”

Onofrei’s time in D.C. has been saturated with politics, but her psychology studies have been relevant throughout. She says,

“the concepts that I have learned about in Social Psychology apply directly to the interactions that I have with work colleagues or other professionals. On a larger scale, I have seen the reality of psychological phenomena that is a driver for certain decisions made by Congress.”

The Washington semester is open to students from any major, and any type of internship can can be completed for credit! Onofrei says “psychology students should definitely consider participating in the Washington Semester because there is a lot of networking and interpersonal interaction available here!” This experiential learning and career experience will set any student apart as they prepare for graduate school or the workforce.

Professional experiences abound at LCWS! On a recent LCWS field trip, Onofrei and other students toured the Library of Congress, pictured above. Onofrei has also attended hearings of the House Oversight Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee. She says, “I have plans to sit in a Supreme Court Oral Argument later on in the semester, an opportunity that I am extremely excited for!”

Outside of the work day, LCWS provides ample opportunity to explore the nation’s capital. Onofrei has enjoyed exploring monuments and memorials, taking in the architecture of D.C., and hitting up the culinary scene by trying new coffee shops and restaurants. But her favorite recreation so far has been visiting D.C. suburbs like Alexandria and Georgetown, “it is very relaxing to walk along these long brick-lined streets, full of shops and beautiful architecture.”

Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!

Get Connected!

• Blog:  https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
• Twitter: @RC_Psychology
• Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
• Website:  http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
• Instagram: @rcpsychology #PsychRC

 

Attention upcoming graduates and recent alumni! If you are seeking employment that would lead towards licensure and are enthusiastic about working with children and families, Strategic Therapy Associates has position openings you may be eligible for.

Strategic Therapy Associates provides family therapy services to at-risk children and their families across Central and Southwest Virginia. We have offices in Lynchburg, Farmville Richmond, Danville, Halifax, Martinsville, Roanoke, Lexington and Wytheville, Virginia. They are seeking candidates who have completed or will soon complete a master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work or Marriage & Family Therapy.  All clinicians offered employment must be able to register as a Resident in Counseling, Resident in Marriage & Family Therapy or Supervisee in Social Work with the VA Board of Health Professionals to receive clinical supervision towards professional licensure as an LPC, LMFT or LCSW.

They use a Strategic Family Therapy systems approach in our work with clients and are seeking therapists who are interested in learning solution-focused interventions.  Applicants should be interested in working with at-risk children and families in their homes where they will learn how to uncover the family’s strengths and abilities to solve their own problems, where our therapist motivates clients to implement positive changes. All therapists receive extensive training and weekly supervision.

Here is a link to the company page and a list of open positions:

 http://s614510739.initial-website.com/