Meet Morgan O’Brien, a rising senior here at Davidson College double majoring in communications and psychology. Like many other psychology majors, she was interested in industrial and organizational consulting and its interaction with the field of psychology. Fortunately, students have the opportunity to enroll in Psychology Practicum 291, which grants a small group of students to gain experience in industrial and organizational consulting. This class, taught by Liz Brigham ‘04 in partnership with Dr. John Kello of the psychology department, is one of many experiential learning pathways available to students.
Through this experience, Morgan explained that she refined her communication skills and learned to establish strong client relationships and trust. One of her favorite assignments from the class was compiling the final report, which although stressful, felt rewarding to combine all the semester’s worth of knowledge into a deliverable that was given to the client. She learned other professional skills from the course through conducting client interviews, coordinating with peers and clients, and time management. Experiences like these are present everywhere in the workforce, and thanks to PSY 291, Morgan now has some expertise under her belt.
Much of her enjoyment and success in the course she attributed to Liz Brigham, the W. Spencer Mitchem Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship here at The Hurt Hub@Davidson. As a resource, Liz provided a space where students could always receive support if needed. Morgan continued to learn more about the plentiful opportunities that The Hurt Hub@Davidson offers, including attending the Davidson Entrepreneur Network Conference(DEN) where she was able to connect with a handful of Davidson alumni.
In the future, Morgan will continue to apply these professional skills she gained during the course both inside and outside of the classroom. She also hopes to continue to stay involved in the community, always keeping an open mind and eye out for possibilities!
