School Psychology Student Brings Hope to Children with Chronic Illness

As a fourth-year doctoral student in Duquesne’s school psychology program, she also knows that collaboration can go a long way to help children succeed in the classroom.
 
This is one of the many lessons she’s learned through her studies in the School of Education and her field experience on the sickle cell team at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
 
When a child has sickle cell, fatigue and pain can affect their ability to concentrate in school. They are also absent more frequently than other children due to medical appointments or recurrent pain.
 
“I do cognitive testing and write reports to advocate for children in their schools,” Kirstin says. “You see a lot of executive functioning disorder in students with sickle cell. Informing teachers to look for organizational deficits or monitoring other deficits is so important so these students don’t fall behind.”
 
Originally from Colorado, Kirstin fell in love with Pittsburgh when she served in AmeriCorps for a
year after college graduation. A few years later, her affection for the city and an interest in Duquesne’s school psychology doctoral program brought her onto the Bluff to pursue bigger goals.
 
Driven by compassion and empathy, Kirstin has connected with other fields and used her talents to become a problem-solver who motivates others to make an impact.
 
“Throughout my career I want to bridge the gap between school systems and kids with chronic illness,” she says. “To do this, it’s important to bridge the gap between medical providers and a child’s school.”
 
Kirstin enjoys working with health care partners to ensure the best outcomes for children.
 
“A school psychologist has insight into how the student learns,” she says. “The medical team has insight into what medications may help the child learn or what other interventions we can set up. Having that knowledge and teamwork is the ideal scenario.”
 
At the School of Education, Kirstin is grateful for faculty who provide mentorship and lead vibrant discussions. They model skills that have shown her how to make enduring connections with others and provide the well-rounded training that her future profession demands.
 
She’s equally grateful that Duquesne is located in “a health care city” and encourages other school psychology students to take advantage of the many learning opportunities at Pittsburgh-area hospitals and private practices. These types of experiences connect life-changing people to a professional path with purpose.
 
Kirstin is excited that the new Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine will offer her and her classmates new opportunities to learn.
 
“The new college will allow school psychology students to interact with medical students and learn how those teams work, while medical students get to learn how school systems work,” says Kirstin. “It’s important to have these multidisciplinary teams working together so their patients – our students – can benefit.”
 
Post-graduation, Kirstin looks forward to working as a school psychologist and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to learn.
 
“When a school understands a child’s needs it can bring in the right services, provide more empathy toward the student and give the best chance for success, even if there are limitations due to chronic illness,” says Kirstin.