2020 interns

Courtney Schmidt is a rising sophomore at Creighton University where she is studying psychology and classical languages. She is still discerning what field of health care she wants to go into, but is considering either attending graduate school for clinical psychology or attending medical school to become a physician. Whichever path she takes, she is excited to choose a field that allows her to work closely with children. Throughout her time at Creighton, she has volunteered with the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club as well as with the Gifford Park Elementary girl scout troop. Through these experiences she has discovered a passion for working with children. She holds a specific interest in selective mutism due to the fact that her best friend growing up was diagnosed with selective mutism. Although at the time she did not know much about selective mutism, she was able to see the effects of the disorder through her friend. She has since then developed an interest in the field of psychology through her high school and college classes. She is excited to work at ATS this summer in order to dive into the field of psychology and gain some hands on experience. She is looking forward to learning more about selective mutism and making an impact on the kids she will be interacting with throughout the summer!

Lindsey Klepper is a rising senior at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology with minors in sociology and communications. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and earn a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. Lindsey is passionate about working with children through various jobs and volunteer opportunities such as nannying, working in an emergency day-care center, and working at a preschool summer camp. She has worked with children of all ages throughout her life and plans to continue in her future career plans. At school, Lindsey works as a research assistant at the Social Action Lab, which is a social psychology research lab that focuses on motivations, attitudes, and communication. She is also a teaching assistant for an introductory class for freshmen that focuses on developing her facilitation and leadership skills. Additionally, she volunteers at an emergency day-care for at-risk or in-danger children in the local community. Lindsey is looking forward to an exciting and unique summer as an intern at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions while hoping to make a positive impact on children with Selective Mutism.

Ryszard Koziel is a senior at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where he will be graduating in December with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in statistics. After graduating, he plans to attend graduate school (preferably in the midwest) to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology. His future goals include providing individual therapy and consulting in a clinical and workplace setting. At school, Ryszard has worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the Gary Wells Psychology and Law lab at ISU, which focuses on errors and bias in eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence reliability in the criminal justice system. He took part in an Industrial/Organizational psychology practicum in which he worked for a local nonprofit in the city of Ames for six months, assisting them with personnel and hiring. He currently works as a research assistant in a lab which focuses on researching the causes, developmental risks, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and polysubstance use using national datasets. Ryszard is also a member of the Psi Chi honors society in psychology, where he served as secretary for the ISU chapter for two semesters. Outside of school, Ryszard takes part in peer mentorship through his faith community. Ryszard worked as a special education associate for a school in the Ames area for a semester before starting at ISU. There he saw and was inspired by the incredible potential for growth and resilience kids can have despite challenges they may face. During his freshman year, he served as a YSS mentor at that same school and he initially planned to follow a path into education administration to work towards excellence and equity in education. At ISU, he realized how interesting psychology is and how much it has to offer in helping individuals and families grow and flourish, leading him to switch to studying psychology. Ryszard is excited to work with ATS this summer as it will be his first opportunity to work in a clinical setting. He looks forward to learning a great deal from and working with the incredible clinicians and interns at ATS!

Isabella Xie is a rising senior at Johns Hopkins University where she will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in both psychology and cognitive science, with a minor in music. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology and become a child and adolescent clinical psychologist. Isabella developed her passion for working with children in high school, where she founded a non-profit organization to teach music at elementary schools and orphanages, as well as volunteered weekly to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in therapeutic horseback riding. Outside of her studies in college, she works as a research assistant at the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, focusing on the study of developmental disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tic Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders. She also volunteers in the pediatric clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute to assist children and families coming in for diagnoses and treatment. Ultimately through her work, Isabella hopes to raise awareness about mental health care and help people overcome stigmatization. She is excited to work as an intern at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions this summer to learn more about selective mutism and its treatment, as well as to make an impact on the lives of children and their families.

Olivia Woodson is a rising junior at Southern Methodist University where she is majoring in psychology with minors in neuroscience and cognitive science. After graduating, she hopes to earn a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, and go on to research anxiety disorders. Olivia is passionate about working with those who suffer from anxiety and learning more about development and treatment of anxiety disorders. While at school, Olivia works as a research assistant at the Anxiety and Depression Research Center, which specializes in basic and applied research of anxiety, mood and affect dysregulation disorders. Olivia found her passion for psychology growing up in the equestrian community. Through working at a barn with young children, she was able to see the direct impact that the horses had on the children, specifically those suffering from anxiety disorders. Olivia is now the captain of the NCAA Division 1 Equestrian Team at SMU. She is extremely excited for her summer as an intern at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions and is looking forward to the incredible knowledge she will gain through this experience.

Sojas Wagle is a rising sophomore at Brown University, where he is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychiatric epidemiology, an independent concentration he created through a lengthy proposal process. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school to become a sex and gender psychiatrist. During the summer before his senior year of high school, Sojas was an intern for the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, where he first realized his passion for working with children in a psychological capacity. Currently, he is serving as a suicide prevention hotline operator at The Samaritans of Rhode Island and is conducting research in LGBTQ+ epidemiology under the guidance of Dr. Don Operario at the Brown University School of Public Health. Sojas is bilingual in English and Spanish, and at school, he is learning Arabic and Hindi as well. On campus, he is an actor and Production Workshop theatre board member, Brown-RISD slam poetry team member, Brown pre-med AMSA freshman representative, and Meiklejohn peer advisor. Sojas chose to work with ATS this summer because of the clinic’s unique focus on anxiety disorders, specifically selective mutism, which is often overlooked in the field of clinical psychology. He looks forward to having a hands-on role in the therapeutic process as a confederate and to seeing the amazing progress the kiddos make this summer at Adventure Camp!