Sara Alexander is a first-year doctoral student in the Combined Counseling Psychology and School Psychology Ph.D. Program. She currently serves as a Graduate Assistant with Seminoles ASPIRE: Alliance for Supporting Positive Growth & Inspiring Resilience in Education.
Sara earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis from Berry College in Rome, Georgia. She has experience supporting youth in foster care and juvenile justice settings; youth with serious illnesses, including pediatric cancer; and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sara strongly believes that every child matters, is not defined by difficult periods in their life, and deserves the opportunity to feel included and thrive both mentally and academically.
Her research interests center on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed approaches, bullying victimization, and understanding the socio-ecological systems that shape youth outcomes (e.g., economic systems, environmental conditions, and structural and community-level influences). Her career goals include becoming a licensed psychologist and providing assessment and counseling services to children, adolescents, and young adults.
In her free time, Sara loves to read, visit local coffee shops, travel, and write children’s books that she hopes to one day publish. She also has the goal of visiting every state park in Florida during her Ph.D. program!