From the city of Philadelphia to nearby suburbs in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Emily Duddy is embracing a wide range of experiential learning opportunities while pursuing her educational specialist degree in school psychology at Temple University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

The Harleysville native arrived at Temple's Main Campus in North Philadelphia in fall 2022, after graduating from Penn State that spring. She says she chose Temple because of the school psychology program's commitment to clinical training experiences, along with its social justice mission and the passionate faculty.

Duddy quickly found herself in School District of Philadelphia classrooms, teaching students emotion regulation and coping strategies implementing the "Incredible Years" intervention in elementary classrooms. Through her coursework, Duddy also toured a variety of Philadelphia area schools and intermediate units (IUs), including the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Delaware County IU. Later, she completed her practicum at an elementary school in the Wissahickon School District before moving on to her year-long internship at a public school in Collingswood.

Currently half-way through her internship, Duddy recognizes that the clinical experience has given her unique opportunities to expand her knowledge and grow in ways that go far beyond the classroom.

The internship is the culminating experience for both the EdS and PhD students studying school psychology. Students seeking certification as a school psychologist must complete an internship with a minimum of 1,200 hours in an approved setting. At least 600 hours must be in a school setting. The internship can be full-time for a year or half-time over two years. Students must also submit a portfolio of professional work for review by an advisor during their internship year.

"It is designed to provide interns with experiences to apply their training knowledge," Duddy explains, noting the goal is to develop "further competency and confidence in our clinical roles such as administering assessments, completing evaluations and providing intervention services as school psychology interns. It provides interns field experience of practicing in the school setting to work directly with students, teachers, parents/guardians and other school personnel."

Field experiences, including internship, allow her to become engaged with day-to-day activities and responsibilities as a school psychologist in training. Of special note, the experience also enables CEHD students to collaborate with and learn from supervising school psychologists, which is also an opportunity for alumni - like Duddy's supervising school psychologist, Sabrina Morales, EDU '14 - to engage with and mentor current students.

"She has been so supportive, knowledgeable, and encouraging this year, and it has been great to see how our clinical perspectives overlap through our Temple training," Duddy shares.

Morales shares that having the opportunity to engage as a supervisor with budding school psychologists is an honor and pleasure. "While we help our interns with skill building, experiential exposure, scaffolding supports and fostering their independence," she says, "they teach us so much along the way. Our interns offer us new perspectives, creative approaches and the most up-to-date evidence-based practices, providing a gust of fresh air."

She adds, "I was once a Temple-trained intern, so I am aware of the program's advanced training and unique and lauded clinical and field experiences. Our team is always excited to have Temple interns join us for a school year because we know they are consistently some of our best. We have offered several full-time positions to them after graduation."

Duddy has also gained hands-on experience working in Temple's Psychoeducational Clinic, and says that experience helped her approach her work through a social justice lens.

"I am leaning into my cultural humility as I work with students of varying backgrounds and cultures in the Greater Philadelphia area," she explains.

Throughout her journey, whether it was taking courses and engaging with the North Philadelphia community, or clinical experiences in the suburbs, Duddy says she is "reminded of the importance of advocating for equitable educational access for students across socioeconomic statuses and how important it is for schools to foster positive relationships with communities, organizations and families to promote the wellbeing of the student."

Just months away from graduation, Duddy says she feels "more capable and confident" as she looks ahead to entering the field next year as a first-year professional. "This is largely due to the internship year providing me the chance to learn and practice new assessments, complete evaluations, provide interventions, and be a part of a school's (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) team, all while still learning and receiving supervision from qualified and knowledgeable school psychologists both at my internship site and studying under the Temple faculty."

Both Temple faculty and staff have made lasting impressions, Duddy shares, noting that she has received academic and professional support and guidance from many. "They have made me feel I have a community here at Temple that will continue standing beyond my degree," Duddy says.

Associate Professor of Practice Jessica Reinhardt and Assistant Professor of Instruction Shana Levi-Nielsen stand out to Duddy when she reflects on her experience.

"Dr. Levi-Nielsen has been an integral part of the internship year and has been supportive to students as we navigate each aspect of our requirements beyond the classroom," says Duddy. "Dr. Reinhardt has been there as a support system from the start, always looking to help bolster our experiences and tailor our training towards our interests (and reminding us of our why!)."

Her "why" is straight forward, if not simple.

"My goal is to help each and every student to reach their greatest potential while promoting their mental, emotional, social, behavioral and physical well-being," she explains. "Every student deserves to feel empowered and supported, and I aim to foster a collaborative team dynamic in the school setting including the student support staff, teachers, administrators, family and community as we work together with the best interest of our students in mind."

Looking back, Duddy, who expects to complete her program and graduate in summer 2025, says she believes "the best way for a student to learn is to take the knowledge they have gained and apply it in the field."

The school psychology internship experience, she says, was just that.

Duddy encourages others to seek out the experiences that make them uncomfortable, where they do not feel confident yet, noting that students will learn from these experiences, with the support of their faculty, supervisors and the team around them. Pursuing these opportunities, she says, is an investment in yourself as a future professional in the educational field.

Get a glimpse of other students' transformative experiences throughout our news stories. Learn more about our school psychology programs on our website.