For Rozhan Shafiezadeh, understanding people has always been the starting point.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Dubai, she was surrounded by different cultures, perspectives and family dynamics\u2014an environment that sparked her curiosity about how people think, feel and relate to one another. \u201cOver time, that curiosity turned into a passion for psychology,\u201d she says, one that would eventually guide her academic and professional path at Montclair.<\/p>\n
Now graduating with a degree in Psychology<\/a> and dual minors in Child Advocacy & Policy<\/a> and Family Science & Human Development<\/a>, Shafiezadeh has built an experience defined as much by hands-on learning as by academic excellence.<\/p>\n Early on, she sought out real-world opportunities to better understand the field. Working as a childcare associate, she managed high-energy environments while supporting children and communicating with families. Later, as a respite care provider for a child with autism, she gained a deeper appreciation for individualized care and the patience required to support development in meaningful ways.<\/p>\n \u201cThese roles taught me that psychology is not just theory. It is presence, adaptability and trust,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n That connection between theory and practice became even clearer in the classroom. Courses like Clinical Psychology and Child Development helped her make sense of what she was seeing in real life, reinforcing her interest in working with children and families. \u201cIt made me more aware of how important it is to support children not just individually, but within the context of their families,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n Shafiezadeh also embraced opportunities that challenged her to grow in new ways. As a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Ofelia Rodriguez<\/a>, she supported more than 75 students through tutoring, discussion facilitation and even delivering a full lecture on cognitive psychotherapy.<\/p>\n \u201cAt one point, I never imagined I would feel comfortable in a position of authority,\u201d she says. \u201cYet I realized that I thrive there.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, her work as a research assistant in Dr. Michael Bixter<\/a>\u2019s Cognition, Decision Making, and Behavior Lab strengthened her analytical skills and deepened her understanding of evidence-based practice. Presenting her team\u2019s findings at the Student Research Symposium stands out as a particularly meaningful moment\u2014one that brought together months of collaboration and inquiry.<\/p>\n Mentorship has played a central role in her journey. Dr. Rodriguez, along with advisors Macayla Mack<\/a> and Sanaz Saminejad<\/a> in the CHSS Student Success Center, helped her refine her goals, build confidence and pursue opportunities she may not have otherwise considered.<\/p>\n \u201cI genuinely don\u2019t think I would be where I am today without their guidance and support,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Through each experience, one lesson has stayed with her: growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. \u201cSome of my most meaningful experiences came from saying yes to new opportunities,\u201d she reflects. \u201cI\u2019ve learned to trust the process, even when things feel uncertain.\u201d<\/p>\n After graduation, Shafiezadeh plans to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology, with the goal of working closely with children and families. Ultimately, she hopes to build a career where she can provide guidance, support and meaningful intervention, helping individuals navigate challenges and build healthier relationships.<\/p>\n Her definition of success has evolved along the way. \u201cNow, I see success more as growth,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing open to learning, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, and making a meaningful impact.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Psychology major with a passion for working with children and families, Shafiezadeh turned hands-on experience into a vision for her future in clinical care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":213477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,15,37,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-213476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-7_homepage-news-and-events","category-268_psychology","category-social-work-and-child-advocacy","category-student-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213476"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213479,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213476\/revisions\/213479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/chss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Learning Beyond the Classroom<\/h2>\n
Stepping Into Leadership<\/h2>\n
Mentorship and Momentum<\/h2>\n
Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n