Chase Crosby
Chase Crosby graduated from high school a year early and began his college journey, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At Georgia State, Crosby says he’s acquired insightful experiences within the field of psychology that will help him to jumpstart his career when he graduates this spring. Here, he shares with us his plans to enroll in a postbaccalaureate program to help prepare him for medical school.
Interview by Zohra Basmadjian
Tell me about yourself.
I am a senior earning my Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
I come from Hazlehurst, Ga., and I graduated from high school my junior year. I moved to Atlanta at 17 to pursue my career. Currently, I work as a social emotional learning coach at Hillard Elementary in East Point, Ga.
I give in-classroom academic support to students who struggle with issues such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or trauma. I sit beside them to keep them focused on the lesson and help integrate them into classroom environments.
What are some of your hobbies?
I like to travel. I studied abroad in Florence for four months. Through that experience, I learned how important travel is to me. I travel whenever I get the chance.
I enjoy being outdoors. I like to go on hikes. My favorite hike I’ve been on was in Sicily. I hiked up an old volcano that had erupted!
Why did you choose psychology?
I was interested in the human mind and understanding my mental health and my family’s. I also want to integrate mental health and helping people in ways that I was not helped as a child.
Why GSU?
I wanted to be in a big city, especially being from a small town. I wanted to see what city life was about. I also chose GSU because their psychology degree program is one of the most awarded. I knew the program would be good and I would have a lot of resources to further my academics.
What are you involved with on campus?
I am a research assistant for Dr. Heather Kleider-Offutt and her graduate students. I presented at the Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC), and we will also be presenting at the GSU Undergraduate Research Conference (GSURC) and Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) in the spring. Some of the research we presented was on the topic of AI and gender.
What internships have you had?
I volunteer as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line. It’s a text line for people experiencing a crisis or any issue that requires immediate help. People can reach out, and I’m there to respond to them via text.
What have been some of your biggest accomplishments?
Currently, I have a 3.66 grade point average (GPA). I’m hoping to graduate with a 3.7 GPA. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve pushed through.
I’m also proud of myself for sticking it out even with the loss of my mother during my junior year at Georgia State. The crucial thing that helped me get through that was communicating with my professors to complete the semester.
What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to take a postbaccalaureate pre-med program. It’s a year-long intensive program that will provide me with all the prerequisites for medical school, allowing me to earn my M.D.
Then, I hope to become a psychiatrist. However, I am staying open to where the program and medical school will lead me to, because I may take interest in another area.
Giving back to and helping people has always been important to me, and has always been what I love the most about psychology. That’s what I hope to do through medicine as well.
