story by Claire Miller
Allison Wayne knew she wanted to continue studying psychology after earning her bachelor's degree in the subject. But she wasn’t sure which direction she wanted to go.
She started working as an instructional assistant for a middle school student with autism, connecting with his teachers and administrators to ensure he was included as much as possible in learning experiences with his peers.
“Being able to be an advocate for him and support teachers to fully include him and make school a more inclusive place was so meaningful,” Wayne said. “I knew school psychologists worked in this space and work with teachers to make classrooms more inclusive, and I knew I wanted to do this work.”
Wayne is a student in the College of Education & Human Development’s school psychology doctoral program, where she appreciates the support she’s received from faculty and her classmates.
“When I think about my favorite parts of the program, the little moments stand out to me the most,” she said. “Feeling connected with my cohort members, going to conferences and showing up for each other’s presentations. We’ve all supported each other and shown up for each other.”
Wayne was recognized for her academic achievements at the College of Education & Human Development’s annual Honors Day Ceremony on April 16.
She is the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award in School Psychology, which recognizes a doctoral student’s academic performance, service to the department and professional promise.
“I was very honored to get this award. There are so many fabulous graduate students in our program who I look up to so much, and I know the faculty could have given this award to anyone,” Wayne said. “I think this is a recognition of the hard work I’ve put in to get to this point.”
For more information about this year’s Honors Day recipients, visit https://education.gsu.edu/cehd-honors-day.