Back to School

I'm going back to school!!! I've been praying and pondering about this for years, but I feel like now is the time. Here is my essay that I had to write for my application to Grad. school:

Larissa Cherpeski-Personal Statement

I grew up in Northern Nevada in Sparks, a suburb of Reno. The saying went that, “Reno is so close to hell that you can see Sparks.” While I was in High School I went through intensive training to work for the Reno Suicide/Crisis Line and volunteered there for two years. It was an eye-opening experience. My first call was from a high school student whose parents had just found him as he was trying to hang himself with his belt. That experience cemented my interest in Psychology and was instrumental in my choosing to major in Psychology when I went off to college.

I worked at a children’s emergency shelter while I was at BYU and helped take care of children who were taken from their homes by Social Services until they could find a home in which to place them. I was able to see first-hand situations that went beyond the textbooks.

After I graduated from college I went on an 18-month mission for my church and spent those months, teaching and serving people in Alaska. This was a life changing experience that helped me see what I wanted for my own future family.

I married in 1996 and worked to help my husband finish school. I found a wonderful job working at “The Center For Change”, an Eating Disorder Inpatient Unit, as a Psych Tech where I spent three years. As part of my job I stayed with the patients and participated with them in Group Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Education Class, Movement Therapy and talked individually with them after each meal. I worked with several therapists whom I admired, and I set a future goal to become a therapist someday.

In the meantime, I started having my own children. After having our first two boys we moved to California for seven years. We had another boy and a girl there and I spent those years nurturing and caring for my children. We moved to Alamosa, CO and had another girl. These years of being a stay-at-home mom and a wife have been the most fulfilling of my life.

Through the years, I have tried to be involved in my community and have served on various boards for Public Television and more recently for La Puente in Alamosa, CO. I have also served various roles in my church as a teacher and leader.

Recently, I was talking to a friend who works at Adam’s State and heard about the Master’s Counseling Psychology program. I was intrigued when I heard about the online program and liked the fact that it was developed for people who are working full-time. Even though I’m not currently employed, I am absolutely working full time in my home, so I feel like this program is a good fit for me.

On a personal level, I have seen the effects of mental illness on family members. My Grandmother lived with our family off and on through several years, and she suffered from schizophrenia. She struggled with feelings of paranoia and also with the awful side-effects from the medication she was given. She lived through many difficult experiences that contributed to her illness. I feel compassion for people who suffer from any mental illness and would like an opportunity to try to help them improve their lives.

I also feel like many families and marriages have strong potential, but the individuals are lacking in the tools they need to communicate and work through day-to-day issues. I would love to help families who need to make some adjustments to have a happier home life. I have a sister who suffered from addictions and who has gotten past those addictions. I have tried to be a support to her and feel that it has helped her. Unfortunately, not everyone has those connections, and as a counselor I would love to provide that support for people with the same needs.

I have always felt the desire to use the experiences I have had and the training I have so far received to serve my community as a counselor. I feel like now is the time that I am ready to take the next step and gain the necessary training to become an accredited counselor.

This program is very part time, and I have 5 years to finish the coursework, so I think I'll be able to handle it. I'll spend more time in the summer on it and less time during the school year. I am excited!