Psychology graduate earns Mitchell Award of Excellence at MSU-Meridian

Contact:  Lisa Sollie

MERIDIAN, Miss.—A Marion resident is Mississippi State University-Meridian’s selection for this fall’s Dennis J. Mitchell Award of Excellence.

Choctaw County High School graduate Christina Gorman, originally of Butler, Alabama, initially she set her sights on becoming a nurse. But not long after she enrolled in Meridian Community College’s nursing program, she realized it wasn’t the right career for her. She enrolled in a few MCC psychology classes before the pandemic struck, and she finished the semester online. While at home, Gorman had plenty of time to consider her next step.

Intrigued with what she had learned about the field of psychology, she transferred to MSU-Meridian in 2020. Still unsure about what path to take, Gorman found clarity when she enrolled in Professor Vicki Gier’s Careers in Psychology course.

Now, Gorman’s enthusiasm for the degree program and her academic achievements have earned her the Dennis J. Mitchell Award of Excellence, and she is being recognized as MSU-Meridian’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Division of Arts and Sciences.

“As we learned about the different career options in the field, Dr. Gier had us choose two careers that interested us, research them and write a paper,” Gorman said. “I chose forensic psychology and school counseling. As I explored both, I ruled out forensic psychology and focused on school counseling,” she said.

“My desire has always been to help people—that’s why I initially went into nursing. This class helped define my path, and I realized I could still be in a ‘helping’ profession—just in a different way.”

After completing her undergraduate degree requirements in August, Gorman has enrolled in graduate school at MSU-Meridian in school and mental health counseling.

MSU-Meridian serves east Mississippi and west Alabama. Learn more at www.meridian.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.