Student Spotlight: Felicia Agbanyo, Bachelor's Completion Program

Felicia Agbanyo is a student in the Bachelor鈥檚 of Science in Psychology and Human Services completion program.
Felicia Agbanyo, a student in the Bachelor鈥檚 of Science in Psychology and Human Services completion program, has worked in group homes for individuals with disabilities for the past 11 years. She was inspired to follow in her mother鈥檚 footsteps and enter the field after seeing the positive impact and connections her mother made with group home residents.
鈥淚鈥檓 an advocate, I do that in my work every day. It鈥檚 something that fires me up,鈥 she said. 鈥淲orking with people with developmental disabilities, I鈥檓 going to make sure you hear them and you鈥檙e going to see them.鈥
Agbanyo spent ten years helping operate a group home for Seven Hills Foundation before accepting a position with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services earlier this year. She learned about 91香蕉视频成人在线 at a college fair she attended after earning her associate鈥檚 degree. She said she was eager to apply but, as a first-generation college student, she found the application process daunting, describing it as 鈥渦ncharted territory.鈥
A conversation with Julia Rodenheiser, enrollment and retention counselor and program administrator for the Center for Workforce Development, helped. The pair talked for over an hour at the college fair. Agbanyo credited Rodenhiser鈥檚 open communication and support along the way as the difference in her decision to enroll, and now describes what she is learning in the classroom as a 鈥済ame changer鈥 in the ways it has helped her on the job.
鈥淚 love being able to understand the 鈥榳hy鈥 and communicate that to my staff, instead of just asking someone to do something. [For example,] 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what we鈥檙e protecting and here鈥檚 why we鈥檙e protecting it,鈥 and I see my staff get it,鈥 she said.
On campus, Agbanyo has embraced another advocacy role as an Academic Councils Engaging Students (ACES) representative for the bachelor鈥檚 program, where she's proposed more opportunities for students to communicate with leadership, including a monthly town hall where students can bring questions to department leadership. Recently, Agbanyo helped facilitate the bachelor鈥檚 program鈥檚 first community service event, a holiday donation drive that benefited the Boston women鈥檚 shelter Rosie鈥檚 Place.
She said she has felt encouraged by faculty and appreciates 鈥渂eing able to walk into an environment and having a platform for being heard and feeling like my opinions matter,鈥 she said. 鈥淓verything I鈥檝e brought to faculty, they鈥檝e been attentive to.鈥
As she continues her education, Agbanyo is interested in studying Organizational and Leadership Psychology. Inspired by seeing the impact changes from management can have on those who work in medical care, Agbanyo wants to help improve communication. She believes that leadership and staff should both be at the table when considering policy change.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen over and over again people in power making decisions for the people working for them, not taking into account what those people鈥檚 lives are actually like,鈥 she said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 on a grand scale or a small scale, I just want to be a part of the change.鈥
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