June 08, 2010
For the third time in four years, students and faculty at St.
John’s University toured Vietnam to witness that nation’s efforts
to promote education and mental health. St. John’s University’s
Department of Psychology offered select students this unique
study abroad opportunity this spring to enhance their understanding
of cultural diversity in psychological and educational
services.
Photo Gallery
The
seventeen students and two faculty members recently visited two
universities, a psychiatric hospital for children and three
orphanages. At two of these orphanages, many students participated
in the development of a measure of cognitive functioning for
infants and toddlers which marks the first of its kind in
Vietnam.
“The children were amazing to work with, and the system of care
that we observed was unlike anything we have seen before,” said Amy
Walker ’14C, a doctoral student in
Clinical Psychology. “The opportunity to work with a translator
and assist in the development of a measure for screening students
was unlike any professional opportunity that I have ever
experienced.”
Mark Terjesen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology,
observed, “With the recent implementation of mandatory education
laws for children in Vietnam, their current education system did
not have a system in place to correctly identify, and subsequently
intervene, with students possessing a variety of learning
difficulties. We have been fortunate enough to work with many
colleagues that we have fostered relationships with over the years
to begin this important step.”
Some students met with faculty and students in Vietnam to discuss
translation issues in terms of developing measures of child,
teacher, and parent behavior while others traveled to schools
collecting data. “The opportunity to work closely with the faculty
at the Hanoi
National University of Education (HNUE) and then collect data
within some schools was really exciting for us,” said Ariel Klein
’14C, a doctoral student in School Psychology.
Stressing the importance of the trip, Samuel Ortiz, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Psychology, echoed many students’
sentiments. “Being placed in a truly different cultural environment
allows St. John’s students to share their experiences
with the faculty and students at HNUE,” said Dr. Ortiz. “That goes
beyond any lecture that could be delivered in a classroom.”
Students engaged with the culture of Vietnam as well,
touring the Cu Chi tunnels, the Reunification palace, the Hoi Chi
Minh Mausoleum and the War Museum. “As the only non-Psychology
major on this trip I was unsure of what to expect. The knowledge
and friendships I gained from this trip will last a lifetime,”
observed Colin Elliot ’12C, a history major.
“Providing opportunities for our students and faculty to assist
those most in need is consistent with our Vincentian mission and
something that we are quite proud of as a department,” said
Raymond DiGiuseppe, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the
Psychology Department.