Cornerstone is fortunate to have an incredible psychology department made up of amazing programs, fantastic teachers and, of course, dedicated students. Cameron Whan is currently a double major in child and adolescent services and creativity and innovation with plans to graduate in spring 2022. The classes, professors and community at Cornerstone University have helped him to progress and learn in his college years, and with his time at Cornerstone coming to a close, he is excited to go wherever God leads him next.
Cameron first felt called to psychology during high school. Much of his interest in the field was inspired by family friend Dr. Nicole McDonald, who just so happens to be one of Cornerstone’s own professors of psychology.
“I view her as a mentor,” Cameron explained. “She has helped me a lot, especially with what I wanted to do in the psychological field.”
Cornerstone’s psychology classes cover many areas of the field, which allowed Cameron to more fully consider which facet interested him most. The child psychology and development courses were among his favorites. Winter of 2020 brought Cameron the opportunity to take Play and Story Therapy with Dr. McDonald. The class not only furthered his knowledge of psychology but also connected to his second major in creativity and innovation.
“We talked about [the influence of] play in our CIHI classes,” Cameron said. “It showed me how I can incorporate play in therapy as part of my career.”
Some classes have been more challenging than others. For Cameron, one of these classes was Statistics and Research. It wasn’t an area that had originally interested him. When deciding on psychology as a major, he hadn’t thought the research side of psychology was something he would consider doing. However, throughout the course of the class, he discovered the importance of it and how the knowledge will actually be a regular part of his career.
College often pushes you out of your comfort zone to encourage growth. So we are fortunate to have a team of skilled professors to support each student along the way.
“My professors stressed that if there was something I wanted to do, then they would help find resources so I could pursue it,” said Cameron.
Because of their own experiences in the field, Cornerstone professors across departments have connections to help students network as well. This helped Cameron find an internship as a community living service provider. He was able to spend time with individuals with autism, interacting in social activities and honing life skills. Although it started as his practicum class requirement, the experience developed into an ongoing job where he was able to continue his work. The job allowed him to see growth from a new perspective.
“We aim for as much growth as we can but also understand that the process is unique for each individual. It has been cool to see how much growth someone can have but also know that each person will still pursue it once I am gone,” said Cameron.
The practicum and following job were a great prelude for Cameron as he hopes to move on to clinical psychology where he can specialize in working with autistic people.
“I want to be there for people,” Cameron said. “I want to be able to work in an environment where I can help people, especially kids and teenagers, grow and just be there for them.”
If psychology is calling to you, come visit us here at Cornerstone and plan a meeting with one of our amazing psychology professors. Or, if you are still searching for a field of study, take our Find Me a Major quiz to explore what majors could be a good fit for you.
