For many students entering the helping professions, the goal is simple: sit down, connect, and help people heal. But as recent University of Montana graduate Lauren Schulte discovered, the path to becoming an impactful clinician involves a lot more than just classroom theory—it requires actively pursuing hands-on discovery.
Lauren recently graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in climate change studies. Though she initially planned to avoid the research track altogether, she decided to push past her assumptions and pursue advanced lab roles, peer coaching slots, and campus leadership positions.
By treating the entire UM campus as a professional testing ground, Lauren built a competitive professional foundation for a career in clinical psychology.
The Strategy: Pursuing Real-World Opportunities Across Campus
In fields like clinical psychology and counseling, graduate schools and employers look for candidates who have balanced rigorous data analysis with genuine, face-to-face interpersonal work. Rather than sticking strictly to standard coursework, Lauren actively sought out multi-layered experiences:
- Undergraduate Lab Positions: Despite initially believing research wasn’t for her, Lauren pursued a position in Dr. Bryan Cochran’s Clinical Psychology lab. She jumped headfirst into a multi-university collaborative project examining historical trauma among queer individuals, ultimately presenting her findings at a national convention in New Orleans.
- Interdisciplinary Research Gigs: Looking to bridge her psychology major with her climate change studies minor, Lauren pursued a second research role with Dr. Rachel Williamson’s Existential Trauma Lab. There, she joined a graduate student study about how counseling clients talk about climate change and what therapeutic interventions are being used to quell those concerns.
- Schulte presented this project at both UM’s Conference on Undergraduate Research and Bozeman’s Climate & Health in the 406 Conference, broadening her professional scope and adding a standout credential to her resume.
- Peer Wellbeing Coaching: To build direct, one-on-one client experience, Lauren pursued a role as a Wellbeing Support Coach at UM’s Curry Health Center. In this high-responsibility position, she worked individually with peers to tackle stress management, sleep hygiene, and nutrition.
- Institutional Leadership: Lauren expanded her communication and public relations skills by serving as a UM Advocate, representing the university as a campus ambassador and welcoming incoming families to Griz Country.
The Career Launch: From Missoula to Alabama’s Rural Healthcare Frontlines
By intentionally pursuing opportunities in both data-heavy research labs and face-to-face coaching environments, Lauren graduated operating at a level few undergraduates achieve.
This powerful combination of experiential learning directly paved the way for her next professional chapter. This fall, Lauren will bring her UM-honed skills to Greensboro, Alabama, for a prestigious internship with Project Horseshoe Farm—a nationally recognized service and leadership program dedicated to rural community healthcare.
This immersive experience will allow her to work directly on the frontlines of community health, gaining invaluable, real-world insights before she takes the final step toward her ultimate academic and professional goal: pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.
This internship will serve as an excellent opportunity for me to learn directly about health care struggles and experiences in the community before I pursue my Ph.D. in clinical psychology, Lauren reflects. I am beyond excited.
Career Lessons from Lauren’s Journey
- Don’t rule out experiences before trying them. Lauren originally thought research wasn’t a fit for her career goals. By taking a chance on a lab position, she completely transformed her professional trajectory and gained an elite resume piece.
- Stack your clinical hours early. If your goal involves counseling, therapy, or human services, look for on-campus roles like peer coaching or mentoring positions. Gaining real, one-on-one professional boundaries and active listening experience as an undergrad sets you apart.
- Connect your interests across departments. Lauren didn’t keep her climate minor and psychology major separate. She actively sought out cross-disciplinary research that blended both, carving out a highly unique, specialized niche for herself that stands out to highly competitive national programs.
Take Action on Your Career Journey
- Explore Experiential Learning: Learn how to earn credit for internships or take part in hands-on projects through our Virtual Career Hub’s “How Do I…?” sections.
- Start your own undergraduate research journey? Explore active lab openings and connect with faculty mentors via Office of Undergraduate Research.
- Track your competencies: Learn how experiences like peer coaching and lab work map directly to the NACE Career Readiness Competencies valued by employers nationwide.
- Check out undergraduate research opportunities or campus jobs? Make an appointment to connect with a coach who can help you find open lab positions and student employee roles.
- Explore Career Paths of Care: Check out our Virtual Career Hub to search for micro-internships, regional fellowships, and opportunities in the health and human services industry.
