Ava Grosser loves a true Minnesota winter.
“The weather was the biggest shock for me moving from the south where the winters are like 40 degrees,” she laughed. “When I first moved here, the snow was just insane. I feel the last couple years it’s been a lot more laid back and chill. But yeah, I love it — I think I’ll always live in Minnesota.”
Originally from Arkansas, Ava grew up in the south before she moved to Minnesota about five years ago. She met her husband, Isaac, while studying psychology at the University of Northwestern in Saint Paul. After graduating, she took a year off and worked in case management at a homeless shelter in downtown Saint Paul. “It gave me a lot of real world experience,” Ava said. “I think it will be helpful going into the field, just working with people — very diverse, unique, interesting people.”
She had always planned on getting her master’s and Saint Mary’s was a top choice while she was an undergraduate student and even after she earned her degree. Fellow psychology students who graduated before her who went on to enroll in Saint Mary’s master’s program in counseling always had good things to say when they would come back to Northwestern for visits. Then, when she worked in the clinical department at the homeless shelter after graduating, she also crossed paths with a number of Saint Mary’s interns who had similar feedback to share.
With the addition of Saint Mary’s Master of Science in Clinical Psychology program, Ava suddenly had a new option before her to consider.
“I’m interested in the research and teaching side of things, so I didn’t think going into a counseling master’s made the most sense for me. I was really excited when they announced the clinical psychology program,” Ava said. “I was like, ‘Yes, I’ve heard about this school. This is great and this is exactly what I want!’”
What really stands out to Ava about the program is being introduced to the Lasallian Catholic tradition. As the premier clinical psychology program in the United States with a Catholic focused curriculum, the M.S. in Clinical Psychology program at Saint Mary’s blends clinical training with a faith-based perspective, emphasizing ethics, spirituality, and holistic well-being.
“I grew up — and am — a Protestant, so learning more about the Catholic faith has been very interesting to me,” Ava shared. “I have a much more substantial respect for the Catholic faith now. Learning about that and the differences … it’s just really beautiful.”
One thing she didn’t expect was how much the master’s in clinical psychology program was going to help her learn about herself — and how much what she learned could apply to life at home as well as life at work.
“In class, you’re talking about your biases — the things that are underlying that you need to uncover in order to work effectively with clients of different cultures and backgrounds — and it’s really interesting because I feel like I’m learning more about myself as I prepare to work with specific people and groups.
“I think the biggest thing that I’m trying to navigate right now is that I want to be a mom. That is one of my major goals for the future. In that aspect, I think this master’s degree is going to be so influential in how we raise our family because I’m learning so much about myself, human development, and how to work with other people, so it’s going to be so helpful in that way,” Ava shared.
“And in the academic world, I think it’s going to provide a perfect foundation. I hope that it allows me to look at different groups of people and understand where they’re coming from, and acknowledge just the complexity of every single one of us.”
Looking at her experience so far, she cannot stress enough how worth it it is for others to take this step to invest in their future. “I’ve been so impressed with our core faculty,” she said. “Dr. Isacco and Dr. White are well written. They have great experience. They’re well rounded in their personal lives — they’re not afraid to share about what’s happening personally and also what they’re doing professionally. If you feel like God has put this on your heart for your life, this program is something that you should absolutely do because it will grow you and it’ll grow your future. I mean, I can’t emphasize that enough. It’s going to provide for your family and your career in all these different ways.
For Ava, she’s found a community and a calling.
“I feel that I’m exactly where I need to be.”
