Allison McFarland from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has been honored with a NASP-ERT (National Association of School Psychologists--Education and Research Trust) Minority Scholarship Award. McFarland will have the opportunity to network with other scholars from around the country and bring this synergy to her work as a practicing school psychologist.
The NASP-ERT Minority Scholarship Program was established in 1995 to support the graduate training of minority students pursuing careers in school psychology. The Program seeks to lower financial barriers to training and to highlight the accomplishments of promising future professionals. The Program advances NASP's commitment to diversity in the field of school psychology by supporting culturally diverse graduate students who will eventually provide school-based services to diverse student populations.
Allison McFarland is currently pursuing her M.Ed. in School Psychology in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. Allison graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a B.A. in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Asian Pacific American Studies. During her undergraduate career, she helped coordinate an early literacy intervention program for kindergartners who are having difficulties with reading, researched early literacy development, and organized a reading carnival for families. After graduation, she taught English at a high school in Japan for three years with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program in both general education and special education classrooms. At UCSB, she works with her advisor, Dr. Matthew Quirk, and examines school readiness and protective factors among Latino/a student populations. McFarland is also interested in improving classroom engagement and is evaluating the benefits of replacing classroom chairs with stability balls in classrooms. Her previous experiences have inspired her to promote a positive school climate that facilitates resilience among children, particularly from cultural minority and low-income backgrounds.