Prepared for a Ph.D. program
Bhanu Priya Moturu
Counseling and Mental Health Services M.S.Ed., 2017
Before Penn GSE: Teach for India fellow
After Penn GSE: Ph.D. student in the University of Maryland’s counseling and psychology program
"Ultimately, the one-year program gave me the foundation to be a successful Ph.D. student, and one day, develop interventions that I hope will change lives."
When I was growing up in India, I had access to counseling services, and it made a crucial difference in my life. After earning an engineering degree and teaching in a high-poverty school as a Teach for India fellow, I saw how the country’s education system often overlooks mental health and realized how fortunate I had been to receive help.
When I started at Penn GSE, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. or a counseling certification, but the I knew the Counseling and Mental Health Services program would prepare me for either path.
Professor Kyle Schultz’s career counseling course changed how I thought about the ways we can assist people in making better career choices. The group therapy courses gave me the skills I needed to lead three-hour group therapy sessions in a methadone addiction program the summer after I graduated with an M.S.Ed.
Throughout my time Penn GSE, I had long conversations with the faculty members about my goals and research interests. They helped me decide to continue my development in a Ph.D. program, and gave me the tools so that I would be ready to succeed once I began my doctoral studies. I even partnered with Professor Michael Nakkula for research on women’s issues after I earned my degree.
Ultimately, the one-year program gave me the foundation to be a successful Ph.D. student, and one day, develop interventions that I hope will change lives.