Patricia Lasutschinkow

• Individuals from a socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., individuals who were or are currently homeless or in the foster care system; were eligible for federal food and nutrition programs [for 2 or more years]; were eligible for Pell grants; received WIC; have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor's degree; grew up in a rural or low-income area)

• Student/Trainee Assistant
• Student/Trainee Scholarship

• Wednesday, June 11, 2025 (Afternoon)
• Thursday, June 12, 2025 (Morning)
• Thursday, June 12, 2025 (Afternoon)
• Friday, June 13, 2025 (Morning)
• Friday, June 13, 2025 (Afternoon)
• Saturday, June 14, 2025 (Morning)

My pursuit of pediatric neuropsychology has deepened this interest due to its emphasis on providing comprehensive, coordinated care for children in tandem with their medical team, educational professionals, and therapists to address cognitive, emotional, medical, and developmental needs. My clinical and research experiences have motivated me to not only be a part of this system but also to be a leader within it.

Currently, I am a medium-trainee in the Michigan Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (MI-LEND) program where I have been learning how best to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents with disabilities and other health care needs in Michigan while also being connected with other leaders in this field. I am also the Communications Officer on the student committee for the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology in hopes of increasing interest and access to the neuropsychology field for graduate students. At my EEG research lab at Eastern Michigan University, I have developed and instituted professional development trainings and didactics for undergraduate and masters students alike to help prepare them for further graduate training, applications, and careers in psychology and neuropsychology in particular. In particular, I have aimed to provide resources specifically to students from underrepresented backgrounds and first generation students without the framework for navigating higher education. Previously, I held a leadership role in the Washtenaw Psychology Society where I was able to build connections with other clinicians providing services in Michigan. With these connections, I hope to become part of a larger community that can work together to conduct research and introduce interventions and policies to improve mental health outcomes for children impacted by medical conditions in Michigan and beyond while also supporting the development of future professionals.

My background as a first-generation college student have provided me with a unique perspective on life and clinical work. Raised by two parents with blue collar jobs, there was significant pressure on my sister and me to be the first in our family to attend college. Upon conferring my doctoral degree in a year and a half, I will be the first to achieve a doctorate in my immediate and extended family. Balancing scholarships applications, supporting my parents, and doing homework in the janitorial closet where my mother worked because they could not afford childcare, made the journey to the doctorate a difficult one. During middle school and high school, I maintained a 4.0 GPA while engaging in community service, extracurricular activities like theatre, choir, and co-creating our school's first gay-straight alliance, and helping my mother and father with their janitorial job after school. In college, I continued to balance my undergraduate studies, where I was triple-majoring, working 6-10 hours a week to support funds for books, room and board, and engaging in community service regarding increasing opportunities for those growing up in backgrounds like mine. I first volunteered at a theatre in Chicago that taught writing skills to children in low-income Chicago Public Schools and later performed skits of the children’s works. I spent four years volunteering and later working for the Jumpstart program as well as the Neighborhood Schools Program helping to teach and support children from low-income families in preschool, kindergarten, and fifth grade.

Now that I am in graduate school, I aim to continue seeking opportunities for myself and my own path while giving back to others along the way. As mentioned in my previous essay, I now seek leadership opportunities at my university and beyond to increase access to the field of neuropsychology to others. My parents struggled to ensure that I would be able to pursue any career or life path that I wanted and I have strived throughout my life to be deserving of this opportunity.

The benefits to attending AACN for myself are numerous. Attending AACN for the first time in 2023 solidified to me that I belonged in the field of neuropsychology. I have aimed to attend since and, each year, I learn an incredible amount from the amazing presenters that help to inform my clinical and research interests and help to develop my skills further as a neuropsychologist trainee. In addition to these opportunities, I utilize AACN as a networking opportunity and work to develop relationships with others in the field. This is especially important this year and I will be leaving for internship soon after AACN and thus AACN serves as a useful opportunity to not only connect with others at my internship site ahead of my first week there, but also allow me to learn about postdocs in the field since postdoc applications will be starting come the end of summer. Last year at AACN, I was able to make connections with internship sites and training directors that remembered me during interviews from our conversations at AACN and I am hoping for similar opportunities this year.

I believe that others will benefit from my presence as well at the conference. Firstly, I aim to submit a presentation on my dissertation to the conference that I believe is important when discussing motor delay screenings and interventions in the first years of life. Additionally, as a student committee member of AAPdN, AACN is a great opportunity to share resources and connections between others in leadership within the field to help support future students and identify their needs. As a doctoral student nearing the end of my doctoral training, I also believe that other students earlier in their journey may benefit from networking opportunities to discuss the internship application process, getting involved in leadership, and other related possibilities.