Graduate Student Reflects on Involvement in Campus Community

As Kailee Carneau ’19 M.A. prepares to graduate in May with her master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology, she reflects on what she has learned and on the meaningful relationships that she has developed as an active member of the campus community.

April 16, 2019

By Kailee Carneau ’19 M.A.

For anyone who decides to brave the waters of graduate school, there can be a lot of "new" involved.

I moved across the country to Connecticut from Washington to study industrial/organizational psychology at the University of New Haven, and, looking back, I was quite apprehensive to move to a new state, study at a new school, and start my new job as graduate assistant for Graduate Student Services.

I was immediately welcomed by the GSS staff, and the work became the routine I needed when everything else still felt new.

GSS hosts social and professional events for graduate students throughout the year, supporting them along their academic journeys. The best parts of my work with GSS have been the opportunities to attend fun events, such as Broadway shows, and to develop relationships with other graduate students and staff. This position has enabled me to connect with many people with backgrounds and experiences different from my own. Getting to know others on campus who have shared who they are with me has been extremely rewarding, and it has made the University feel like a second home.

"Working as a graduate assistant in Graduate Student Services has given me a space to make an impact – and to be impacted."Kailee Carneau ’19 M.A.

While working at GSS, I have had developed important skills that I know will be invaluable in future career endeavors. I have learned about event planning, marketing, communication, and student affairs. Although I believe these skills are meaningful, they don’t compare to what my fellow student affairs staff and graduate students have taught me.

As I am nearing the end of my time at the University of New Haven, and as I see my friends at the final graduate student and campus events, and I am humbled to think that there was ever a time we were strangers.

Working as a graduate assistant in Graduate Student Services has given me a space to make an impact – and to be impacted. I am learning that the more I get to know those around me, and the more I let them get to know me, the less scary "new" feels.