On October 15th, The 2021 California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Scholarship was awarded to SOE student Ana Gomez, a candidate in the school psychology program.
Recipients of the CASP CLD $1,000 scholarship award must be second-year students at accredited school psychology programs in California, and must also be members of a culturally and linguistically diverse minority group. Renewable for two years, the scholarship is meant to promote opportunities for the recruitment of school psychologists responsive to the ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds of children who are part of the increasingly diverse population of California.
“Hearing that I had actually won it brought me pure joy,” says Gomez. She states that she is a proud Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student in the program, and that due to her status, it is difficult for her to receive financial aid assistance. “Winning this scholarship lifts some financial burden off my shoulders and motivates me to keep working hard.”
It was an Open House event at LMU in 2019 that sparked Gomez’s interest in the school psychology program. At the event she was able to meet former students of the program who shared their experiences with her. She said she fell in love with the program’s small class sizes and its advocacy for resiliency in schools. Currently with her cohort’s support system, Gomez believes that LMU is preparing her to become a great school psychologist. “In this field, I know I will be able to share my knowledge, dedication, and love for students in schools,” Gomez says. “I’m where I am meant to be.”
By Nyla Manuel, a graduate student in the creative-writing program at LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts.
