November, 2014 FSM Student Spotlight

Meet Mike M.! Mike is a student and scholar at Western Michigan University. Mike is a very passionate and driven individual. We recently asked Mike to share with us his various accomplishments and his future plans... Here is what Mike had to say!
 
FSM: Please tell us about an accomplishment and/or talent related to your college experience?
MM: I have worked in many different fields within the applied behavior analysis fields. During the summer of 2014 I worked at WoodsEdge. WoodsEdge Learning Center is a special education center-based school that provides service to all nine districts within Kalamazoo County. Students who attend WoodsEdge Learning Center are between the ages of 3 and 26 years of age. Here I worked one-on-one 10 hours a week with children with autism by using discrete trails (evidence based treatment) to teach them many different skills from labeling/naming objects, maintaining eye contact and many other skills. I also have done research assistance within the industrial organization behavioral management graduate program under two different graduate students. One is looking at observing behavioral based safety and the other is working at the Boys and Girls Club. I am also a teacher's assistant for Survey of Behavior Analysis research where I host study sessions for the students and also help grade the exams. Finally I am doing my fourth year as a co instructor for a first year seminar class. This class helps all first year students at Western get acclimated to Western's campus and the Kalamazoo Community. All of these plus more has helped me get ready for graduation and helped me get exposed to the field of behavioral science.

FSM: What do you hope to do after graduation? Do you have a specific area of passion?
MM: I plan on going to graduate school and start with getting a master's degree in either industrial organization behavioral management or applied behavior analysis and after that possibly pursuing a doctorate for either of the fields just stated. The schools I am currently looking into are Western Michigan University and South Florida University. Mu ultimate career goal is to develop a behavior modification system to help at risk youth as a proactive approach before those youth or any youth get in the juvenile or adult criminal system. 

FSM: What can professionals do to better serve students with experience in foster care?
MM: I think that more networks need to be made between students and professionals. Also the professional fields where these networks come from need to be expanded. I say this because I know that if a person needs networking in social work that is very easily manageable but from other fields like my career goals that is another story most of the time.  

FSM: What advice do you have for students thinking about going to college?
MM: Look for programs that interest you and if even you do not know a major that you wish to pursue do not worry about it as there will be time to find out what you like through your first year. Also the biggest key to success in college is no secret and it is to go to class. This might seem self-explanatory but often when a student is not doing well in a class one of the first problems is that they do not attend. There are things that the teacher can tell you that a text book cannot.

FSM: We heard that your brother is joining you in college at Western Michigan University this year. Why might this be important to you?
MM: This is important to me because not only have been given the opportunity to pursue a college degree and better myself, but he also gets the opportunity. I hope he takes it to the fullest advantage as I did. I hope nothing best for my brother and I cannot wait to come back in a few years to see him graduate, as I am doing in December.