After graduating with a bachelor’s in psychology from Binghamton University, Maddi was introduced to the field of school psychology. It was a perfect fit for her since it blends her passions for education and psychology, so she moved to Florida all the way from Buffalo, New York.

"School psychology is a combination of all the things I love. I was familiar with UCF, and when I learned about the school psychology program here, I was even more intrigued. I visited the campus before applying, and every single person who I spoke to at UCF was nothing but friendly and helpful. Knowing that I would be surrounded by these types of people in a great program on a beautiful campus made it easy to decide to attend here.”

Maddi is also a program assistant at UCF’s PedsAcademy, a program that facilitates meaningful and engaging activities across all school subject areas for patients at Nemours Children’s Hospital. “Giving the children a sense of normalcy during their hospital stays and seeing their smiles while learning is so heartwarming. I encourage anyone who is eligible to apply to become an intern. You won’t regret it!”

Maddi’s main goal after completing her education specialist degree is simple: “To advocate for children and to help them succeed not only in school but in life. With the many challenges children face today, I want to be a positive force in their world.”

When she is not completing assignments for school, Maddi loves to travel. Last summer, she visited nine states and 12 national parks. “It was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. The U.S. truly has beautiful places that you could never even imagine. Now, I have the travel bug.”

Where should Maddi travel next? 🚙 🌎