Major: Interdisciplinary (Psychology for Writing and Communicating)
Why did you choose your major?
After taking time off of college at my previous university in order to get treatment for my severe OCD, I found that what makes me feel most motivated to recover is utilizing language to help others with similar struggles. I love to advocate for people with OCD and encourage them to move towards a life full of things they value in the midst of a disorder that tries to keep us stuck and scared. OCD tells us that in order to stay safe, we need to keep our worlds small and not work towards goals that hold uncertainty of success. The creation of my major was inspired by actively combatting this compulsive pattern. I have been finding my purpose, and empowering others to do the same.
Would you recommend it to a future student? Why?
I would recommend Interdisciplinary studies to any student who has a niche of what they enjoy studying that does not quite fit into a preexisting major or combination of majors and minors. This custom major provides more flexibility than if you were to declare additional emphases for your major because you can work with your board of faculty and primary faculty advisor to shape your career path with courses that directly relate to it. It feels collaborative and I like that I have a group of experts who believe in me but also who feel free to voice when a certain course I have in mind is not the right fit for my goals.
Since I am open to working for a mental health organization as a writer and communicator in multiple capacities, I have worked with the faculty to pick courses that will provide training in multiple directions I could end up going. I am taking an event planning course in case I decide to help plan conferences for organizations. I took public speaking so I could become a motivational speaker. I took a public relations course to be able to amplify the causes that organizations are promoting. I took the Echo course in order to get practice writing feature and opinion articles about mental health and similar important causes.
What are your future plans?
I plan to work for a mental health organization in addition to releasing books about mental health. I have been writing poetry about my own recovery journey since 2018, and my independent study project to close out my senior year will be presenting my first poetry book at a mental health conference. That book is entitled Spiral Bound: Diving into the Doubting Disorder.
Are there any particular experiences — in or out of the classroom — that have helped you identify that path?
During my two leaves of absence from UCSB, back when my OCD was so serious that I was having trouble doing homework, spending time with friends, showering, eating, and the like, I attended two intensive outpatient programs. One of these, a six-week program at UCLA, shaped the way I saw my future because of the people I met there who were like me. We talked about how OCD is seriously misunderstood, and how we believe that if someone, anyone, had the knowledge to notice that our “quirks” were a disorder, we would have been saved from so much pain and isolation.
I have made a commitment to raise awareness and inspire action to work towards better and more accessible OCD treatment so that there will be fewer people who have to wait 17 years to find help as I did. Because of my Interdisciplinary studies major, I have been encouraged by peers who are intrigued by my unique goals to be more involved on campus. I am the Vice President of the Psychology Club, and my jewelry and fidget keychain business, Jazzories (Jazzy + accessories), has been able to gain more support than ever by being included as a vendor at campus events. I have been raising money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness with every purchase.