Hello! My name is Eva Santhosh and I am a rising senior. I am a Psychology major with a Neuroscience minor and a Children’s Literature Certificate. I’m from Philadelphia and have loved exploring all that Philly has to explore and doing the same in Pittsburgh. I’m excited to see what explorations await me abroad!
This summer I will be participating in Infant Mental Health in Ireland: Advancing Practice, Policy, and Research. This program consists of attending the World Association of Infant Mental Health Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Last summer I participated in the Children’s Experiences of War and Trauma program, which consisted of two weeks of learning at Pitt and two weeks in London. Through this program, I took a psychology class and a neuroscience class in which I learned about the impacts of trauma on a child from a psychological and neurobiological perspective, as well as the aspects of trauma surrounding war and migration experiences. Through learning about these topics, I became more interested in learning about infant mental health and how to get involved. When the opportunity to participate in “part two” of the program arose, I was thus very excited!
The World Association of Infant Mental Health Congress features speakers from around the world presenting new research, policies, and practice regarding the development and mental health of young children. This provides the attendees with the opportunity to learn about emerging practices from many unique global perspectives. I have a personal interest in clinical psychology and aim to go further in my education and career in that field, specifically pertaining to younger clinical populations. This motivated me to participate in this program, where I can hear from professionals about the different research and interventions used. I am especially excited to get the opportunity to listen to scientists that I have previously learned about in classes present in person and to see how the theories and ideas from the classroom are used and applied in clinical practices and policies around the world.
I, also, of course, am looking forward to seeing everything that Ireland has to offer! The conference is set to begin with an opening ceremony featuring cultural music and dance, and I am excited to see the program begin with such an amazing welcome. This experience is sure to bring forth lots of personal and professional growth and opportunities, and I can not wait to step foot in Dublin to begin!
