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Six doctoral students from USF鈥檚 school psychology program were selected for competitive internships through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), an organization that helps match distinguished applicants with competitive internship programs available across the nation.

Students will begin their one-year-long internships later this year. After successful completion of the program, the students will be strong candidates for pursuing prestigious post-doctoral fellowships or positions as university faculty.

Shannon Suldo, PhD, a school psychology professor and director of clinical training for the program, says students who apply for APPIC internships have a significant amount of experience in providing psychological services. USF鈥檚 graduate program in school psychology, she says, helps students complete all required qualifications, such as time spent teaching, completing practica, supervising peers, and conducting research, in addition to their thesis and dissertation work.

鈥淚 feel great pride,鈥� Dr. Suldo said. 鈥淭he fact that six out of six students applied and were selected, I feel, reflects on the high quality of our program on the whole, which is collectively the high quality of all the students and faculty that are in it.鈥�

Learn more about each of the six doctoral students below.

Hannah Gilfix 鈥� USF Counseling Center

Gilfix will start her APPIC-approved internship at the 哔咔漫画鈥檚 Counseling Center. This fall, she will provide therapy to patients and work with organizations on campus to support the well-being of students at USF. When speaking on the support she鈥檚 received, Gilfix says her major professor and the school psychology program itself has set her up for success.

鈥淒r. Suldo has been extremely supportive of my career goals,鈥� Gilfix said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 really encouraged me to seek out numerous practicum experiences in my four years so far. All of the coursework and the practicum experiences that the program already offers have set me up to be very competitive for this internship.鈥�

Patricia Gills 鈥� Devereux Foundation

Gills was matched with a summer internship at the Devereux Foundation in Pennsylvania. During her program, she will work in the Children鈥檚 Behavioral Health Services building.

鈥淚 was and still am in shock,鈥� Gills said. 鈥淒evereux was my top site when I began the APPIC process, so being matched there was a dream come true.鈥�

Holland Hayford 鈥� Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Hayford will complete her internship this summer at an autism services training program at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Villanova, Pa.

鈥淚 am incredibly excited,鈥� Hayford said. 鈥淭his site was my top choice because of its wonderful training opportunities related to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and its emphasis on enhancing the quality of life for its clients 鈥� I hope to improve my skills in conceptualizing and working with more complex cases.鈥�

Jennifer Hodnett 鈥� Marcus Autism Center

Hodnett will complete her fall internship at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, where she will serve as a pre-doctoral intern.

鈥淚 very much look forward to an arduous yet exciting internship year,鈥� Hodnett said. 鈥淪erving as a pre-doctoral intern with the Marcus Autism Center will allow me to gain vital practical experiences, further solidifying the professional training foundation I have encountered through the school psychology program here at USF.鈥�

Faith Reynolds 鈥� Nebraska Internship Consortium

This fall, doctoral student Faith Reynolds will begin her internship at the Nebraska Internship Consortium in the Boys Town Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient Track.

鈥淒uring my time in Nebraska, I aspire to enhance my competencies in providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for children and adolescents,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淔ollowing this internship, I plan to become a dual licensed professional as a school psychologist and clinical psychologist.鈥�

Nicholas Scheel 鈥� Santa Barbara Psychology Internship Consortium

Scheel, who plans to relocate to California this August, will head to the Santa Barbara Psychology Internship Consortium to work with children in the county鈥檚 school district. The support he received from USF faculty members in the program made all the difference in preparing for this opportunity, he said.

鈥淒r. Suldo and my major professor, Dr. Castillo, assisted me throughout the entire application process by guiding me through the application procedures, providing consultation around what sites were best for my training and career goals, and reviewing all my materials,鈥� Scheel said. 鈥淚 aspire to engage in the broad activities and responsibilities of a school psychologist in a large, diverse school district and shape the systems within the school I work in to be more preventative, responsive and supportive of all students.鈥�