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SUMMER 2026 • VOLUME 17
CURRENT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: SARAH PRATHER
5 YEAR PSYD STUDENT (SHE/HER/HERS) TH
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
The field of psychology needs more people passionate about helping others, and I think it is important to understand the “why” behind your pursuit. This field requires not only grit and humility but also people willing to embrace discomfort and tackle difficult challenges – including examining our own ego and confronting uncomfortable truths about our own biases, hidden motivations, and vulnerabilities. This requires staying relentlessly curious, possessing the courage to dismantle outdated belief systems, and remaining open to new information that reshapes how we view the world. For me, this also meant being completely unafraid to forge a non- traditional path, even if it required the humbling experience of starting completely over after pursuing a career I once thought was my ultimate destination. I believe this continuous self-reinvention must be firmly anchored in unwavering ethics and integrity. By holding fast to a strong moral core while allowing our minds and trajectories to adapt, we ensure that our pursuit of self-improvement not only elevates our own potential but also leaves a genuinely positive impact on the world around us.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, assuming best laid plans and all of that… My professional goal is to become board-certified in forensic psychology. I want to use the certification to demonstrate expertise in working with populations found unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, and to conduct custody evaluations for the courts. Generally, I hope to work on a cross-functional team that addresses all aspects of an individual’s psychological functioning, whether in a state psychiatric hospital or a carceral setting. I also enjoy educating others, so maybe mentoring other early-career psychologists or even teaching non-mental-health- facing audiences the importance of mental health resources. I used to think it was strange that every professional psychologist I knew, whether professor or practicum supervisor, etc., held like three jobs, but now I think the variety is enticing and a unique way to make a broader impact in the field of mental health. I also hope to fit in some pro bono work, too.
(312) 261-3036
www.nl.edu
Chicago, IL
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