Marie Anderson

Clinical Psychology, PhD program (final year), San Francisco Bay Area campus

Q: What made you decide to choose Alliant for your PhD program?

A: I was a licensed professional counselor working in Alaska and I was on a softball team and one of my friends on the softball team graduated from CSPP Alliant in Los Angeles. I knew that I wanted to go back to school and earn my PhD and I was feeling a little bit unsure about whether or not I would be able to make it. I trusted her and I saw that she made it through, so it seemed possible for me. I applied to the PhD program in San Francisco, and I got an interview, and I shined as brightly as I could during that interview, and I was offered a seat in the program.

Q: What has Alliant done to support you throughout your program?

A: The biggest thing that Alliant did was help me find my own inner strength and my own drive from the experiences that I've had in my life. I am a veteran. I retired from the Army, and I was able to feel inspired and to draw upon those resources to get me through and to help keep me motivated throughout all the experiences that I had as a student.

Q: What surprised you about Alliant or the program itself?

A: Having completed a terminal master’s degree and already having been a professional in the field as a licensed provider at the master’s level, the most surprising thing for me was the personal journey that I went on and all of the things that I learned about myself that I didn't even know were components of me. The strengths that I found in myself that were uncovered throughout the years of my program.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the dissertation process?

A: My dissertation journey went a little bit differently than I thought it might. At first when I came into my PhD program, I thought I might be working from a different researcher’s data set and maybe adding on to their research. But what I actually experienced was a continual encouragement to figure out what my passion was and to do my own research and I'm so glad that I took that feedback because I did the research that I wanted to do in the way that I wanted to do it.

Q: What tips or advice what you give to people who want to enter this field?

A: I would advise them to make sure this is what you really want to do. Be very clear of the research that you want to do. Stay with your passions and just believe in yourself.