Emily Broussard has used her psychology and anthropology degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to understand other people — and to help them.
Emily chose to attend UL Lafayette because of the unique campus culture and the school’s just-right size.
“I thought that it would offer me a unique college experience. Its school culture was unlike any other schools I had visited,” she said. “I was also attracted by the size of the school. It allowed me to build strong relationships with other students and professors that have lasted to today. I’m not sure if I would have had that opportunity at a larger school.”
She was drawn to anthropology and psychology because of her interest in people, and her professors gave her the freedom to explore her interests in both degree programs.
“I’ve always had an interest in what’s going on inside the person and how that affects or is affected by the outside world, like culture and society,” she said. “I love that the professors and other students encourage you to use your knowledge you gain and apply it to whatever field of work that you really care about and wish to pursue.”
Part of Emily’s exploration at UL Lafayette included taking on student research. She worked in psychology professor Dr. Amy Brown’s Sexual Violence Research Lab.
“I was able to assist her and graduate students with conducting experiments, and I was able to present at conferences,” Emily said. “After a couple of years of experience in the lab, I was able to create my own social psychological study based on my interests, which I feel has really prepared me for my next chapter in graduate school.”
After graduating from UL Lafayette, Emily joined Teach for America and taught English Language Arts in New Orleans for two years — an experience that her psychology program prepared her for.
“Not only has my experience in the psychology department helped me to understand people with intellectual disabilities, but it has also taught me that my educational background in psychology can be applied anywhere, especially in the realm of teaching,” she said.
Her time in Teach for America prompted her to attend the Relay Graduate School of Education to earn her Teaching Certification in Elementary Grades. Now, she lives in Atlanta, where she is a fourth-grade level chair, which means she leads a team of teachers and coaches and mentors new teachers.
“Being a part of campus life and organizations, I developed soft skills that help me work with fellow teachers and students every day,” she said. “In my courses and academic involvement, I gained critical-thinking skills and skills of open-minded inquiry in order to problem solve in a job that is very fast-paced and contains multiple layers of responsibly that require thinking on my feet.”
