Meagan Mitchell’s Path to Counseling
Senior Meagan Mitchell combined psychology and public health to better understand people and how to support them.
By Kate Vander Vort ’27
Meagan Mitchell’s ’26 academic path at Santa Clara University drew her to both the systemic and personal aspects of care. With a major in psychology and a minor in public health, she built a foundation centered on comprehensively understanding human behavior and well-being.
“I knew I wanted to work within public health and help my community,” Mitchell said. “I was drawn to psychology because of my interest in the health side of human behavior, looking at how and why our society functions in different settings.”
Leadership and Research
Throughout her time on campus, Mitchell took on leadership roles while also engaging in research. She served as Outreach Officer for Psi Chi for two years before becoming president, helping build community within the psychology honor society.
She also worked in Dr. Read’s Language Learning Lab for two years, contributing to research on feedback and book sharing. Her work extended beyond campus when she presented at the Cognitive Developmental Society Conference in 2026 in Montreal, Canada.
Applying Learning Beyond the Classroom
Mitchell’s experiences outside the classroom reflected her interest in working directly with people. She coached and managed a club volleyball team for two years, worked as an Applied Behavior Analyst (ABA) for children with autism, and volunteered with the Independence Network supporting adults with disabilities.
She also interned with the Sentio University Marriage and Family program and worked as a teacher for young children over the summer, gaining experience across different age groups and settings.
Exploring Psychology in Depth
A couple key moments shaping Mitchell’s academic experiences came through her courses.
Relationships of Psychology with Dr. Sullivan started as an interest, but after taking the class, it helped me realize more specifically the career path I wanted to take.
After the course, she began exploring graduate programs in marriage and family therapy, recognizing the impact that relationships and family dynamics can have on individual well-being.
I saw how a supportive adult or a strained family dynamic could completely change how a child behaved and felt about themselves.
Her advanced topic in neuroscience also left an impact. For her individual research project in that course, she studied the connection between Adverse Childhood Experiences and alcohol use and misuse.
Her work focused on the relationship between alcohol use and the HPA axis and VTA pathway in the brain, exploring how early experiences can impact long-term health outcomes.
“I chose this population because, as a marriage and family therapist, I’d like to work with younger children and adolescents in hopes of providing prevention and intervention to help them avoid further health risks later in life,” she said.
Looking Ahead
After graduation, Mitchell plans to attend graduate school to earn her Master’s in Counseling Psychology and become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
Through her time at SCU, she has built a foundation rooted in both understanding and connection, preparing her for a future focused on supporting others and strengthening the communities around her.