Amber Thomas '18

"I've always been interested in psychology and in how the brain itself works," says Amber Thomas '18. "That's why I want to pursue neuropsychology. It's a perfect blend of both these interests."

Before deciding to pursue neuropsychology in her junior year, Amber was already a biology major as well as a Division I soccer player. For neuropsychology, she added a second major in applied psychology. Today, Thomas is a Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Research Assistant at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston.

She said her faculty advisors helped her make it all work. "Professor [Joseph] Trunzo, my mentor, has been my advocate from the start,” says Thomas. The Professor of Applied Psychology "helped me find required courses, professional contacts, and research experiences to help me prepare for graduate school, since I’ll also need my PhD."

Professor Trunzo’s dedication to helping his students is just one reason why Thomas found being a student in Bryant's close-knit community so rewarding. “You form strong relationships here. Many of my opportunities first came to me through a professor.”

One of those opportunities, a neuropsychology internship, allowed her to assist professional neuropsychologists, who evaluate and treat people with neurological or neurodevelopmental disorders. "It's affirmed why I want to be a neuropsychologist. I want to use my problem-solving skills to help people who are living with neurological disorders. The more I learn, the more I love it," says Thomas.

Bryant’s distinctive curriculum, in which all students with an arts and sciences major select a complementary business minor and vice versa, meant that Thomas also benefitted from the broadened perspective her business courses provided. "My minor is in human resources. It's about people—and so is healthcare," she notes.

Real World Experience