McNair Scholars

Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson

My name is Amy Johnson. I am fascinated by learning about the brain and plan to engage in a career using psychology to help others. Growing up I was not absolutely aware of my mother’s mental illness until I was about nine or ten and then everything seemed to make sense and fit together like a puzzle piece. Her illness has shown me that although someone may have something wrong with certain connections in their brain or their brain may not process things in the “normal” manner, they still have a heart and can love and teach you things that are valuable. I am a junior at Southern Oregon University achieving my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology as well as a minor in Anthropology. I will move on to enter in a doctoral program where I can expand my knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare myself to help children who are struggling in their lives.

I have a passion for the young minds of America who observe the world around them and try and mimic what they deem to be acceptable and the way to act, I want to help show them that even though their parents may partake in an act does not necessarily make that acceptable. There is an urgent need for interventions and learning parental techniques in families who continue to repeat an abusive cycle they often learned from their parents. I am also interested in different connections and operations in the brain. The brain’s abilities are fascinating to me and I am interested in how it functions and processes information. I hope to do research where I find new and innovative ways to decipher the source of mental illnesses and ways to help those suffering come to terms with it and better cope with something that they have no control over. I know that with a doctoral degree I will be able to do research that shows how knowledge about the brain can be applied in people’s lives and in their relationships with others.

Mentor:
Dr. Patricia Kyle, Psychology