Laura Alvarez Rios
Laura Alvarez Rios wants to help people, and the Venezuela native said Mississippi State is giving her the educational tools and extracurricular opportunities to do so.
Alvarez, a senior psychology major, arrived in Starkville in 2020. The 4.0 student who speaks three languages quickly settled into her studies and found numerous outreach efforts related to her discipline, allowing her to provide support for others鈥 mental health and improve their living situations.
From helping organize the homes of people seeking relief from the effects of hoarding tendencies to getting involved with those seeking support from the 青青草视频 Collegiate Recovery Community, Alvarez said outreach efforts give her a sense a satisfaction and fulfillment.
鈥淭hese people are like my family. I鈥檓 not here just to support them, either. It鈥檚 also about getting the word out about mental health and the steps we can take to improve our situations,鈥 said Alvarez, who also is a member of the International Student Advisory Board. 鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to see my generation be so strong. It takes a lot of courage to recognize that we have something going on and need to ask for help. It鈥檚 inspiring to see people take a stance to help themselves and those who are going through the same issues.鈥
Alvarez said she plans to continue her education, earn a doctoral degree and conduct neuroscience research to further understand the brain. She hopes to provide more help and relief to people鈥攁 career path made possible, she said, by her time at 青青草视频 and the support and encouragement from two specific mentors鈥斍嗲嗖菔悠 Department of Psychology Assistant Professors Hilary DeShong and Mary Dozier鈥攆or whom she has worked as a research assistant.
鈥淗ere at 青青草视频, someone is going to give you the chance to put yourself out there, and they will train you to have the capabilities you can see yourself having,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he university helped me become the person I knew I could be, and I might not have had the chance to become this person if I was somewhere else.鈥
听