Psych Student Profile: Kimberly Crum
Our second student spotlight is Kimberly Crum. She’s a sophomore pursuing a degree in forensic psychology with a side program to receive a Child Psychology Advocacy certificate. A very motivated student who is already actively working in our psychology department, she is a great addition to our school, especially when you read her story.
Why did you choose Florida Institute of Technology?
Safety. Florida Tech’s campus is safe and had a warm and welcoming appeal to it. The large amount of scholarships that Florida Tech had to offer me was also appealing and a selling point in my choice to attend Florida Tech.
Why did you choose to study psychology?
While in high school, one of my teachers was a retired detective who worked for the Morris County prosecutor. He was very apt at figuring out what students would be good at. He suggested to all of his students what he believed we would be successful in. Myself, he deemed would become a great psychologist (I’ve chosen to take it a step further, and go for psychiatry though). This advice came as I was applying to colleges and I took it into consideration when it came time to make a decision. The week prior to orientation, I had received the unfortunate news that he had passed away. I had returned home to attend the funeral along with close to 100 students of his. Most of these students much like myself had followed his advice and are continuing to do so. I stuck to psychology because I enjoy it, but it’s still nice to think that the memory of a great man and teacher lives on in the lessons and advice he gave his students.
What do you want to do once you graduate?
After graduate school I would like to attend a medical school somewhere in the vicinity of the Jersey or New York region. Medical school is the next step in my journey to become a psychiatrist. My end goal is either to work with the criminally insane or with a children’s psychiatric department.
Who is your favorite professor and why?
Doctor Kelly Moore; he’s a down-to-earth professor. He hasn’t lost touch with what it is like to be a student and can still easily relate to us. He doesn’t just teach us the material, but also brings up world news and important topics to think about. He uses real life examples to illustrate the material and make it relatable to our daily lives.
If you weren’t a psychology major, what would you want to be?
In all honesty, I would want to be a stay at home mom who would run an out-of-home daycare for mothers who are attending college. I’ve grown up around and dealt with children for most of my life. During high school, I largely raised one of my little cousins from the time she was two months old all the way up to when she was four years old and started preschool.
What would you tell someone who is having a bad day?
Cherish the small things, because even when you’re having a bad day there is always a reason to smile. It can be absolutely anything and seem like the smallest, most irrelevant thing from someone holding the door open for you to the sun’s warming rays. Life is about realizing it’s the small things that make days great.
