Sophie Fellinger

While interning at the Mendota Mental Health Institute, I have gotten the opportunity to partake in a variety of tasks that provided me with invaluable learning. Specifically, I have assisted in positive psychology therapy groups, attended trial competency education groups, built rapport with patients while participating in recreational therapy groups, engaged in individual therapy for max security and juvenile patients, and collected data for a graduate level research project.

While at MMHI, I have learned how to successfully engage with a variety of patient populations, I have become incredibly adaptable, and have grown in my ability to effectively engage with a multidisciplinary team.My favorite part of interning at MMHI is knowing that, with each new day that I am there, I gain a unique and challenging experience that broadens my perspective on the human experience and the struggles that come with living in our incredibly complex world.

My internship experience at the Mendota Mental Health Institute has given me the confidence to one day pursue a doctoral degree in forensic psychology. Without this internship, I may never have set my sights on this career path, but I’m so happy I did. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that the Audrey J. Harris Scholarship has given me to pursue this internship and fully invest in my learning.