Alumni feature – Tina Histand ‘09
When I came to Goshen College as a first-year student I was completely undecided as to what major I would study. It wasn’t long before my first college class, General Psychology, convinced me that psychology is a valid, fascinating and very useful topic of study. I have never regretted nor doubted my decision to be a psychology major and have thoroughly enjoyed my time as part of the psychology department at GC. I’ve been very pleased with the variety of classes, academic challenges and pure fun that this department has offered me over the course of my four years here. In addition to learning a lot about human thought and behavior, through my career as a psychology major I have gained an empirical mind, ability to be a more critical and careful consumer, and an improved ability to write well. I value the opportunity I’ve had to conduct my own research and present my findings in an intercollegiate psychology conference. In addition to developing these skills, my experience as part of the psychology department at GC has challenged me to grow in my faith as my professors have greatly encouraged me to synthesize my studies in psychology with my personal faith journey. The psychology classes I’ve taken have fostered in me a sense of enthusiasm and curiosity to continue studying and learning more through graduate school, an endeavor I feel my professors have adequately prepared me for. I’m looking forward to pursuing graduate studies in clinical health psychology or social psychology in the near future.
