News

RWC School Psychology Alumni '10, Stacy DiMartino

It is hard to believe it has been 5 years already since I finished the School Psychology program at Roberts in 2010. My time at Roberts is a time I will always cherish. From the long hours spent in the beautiful Golisano Library to the life-long friends and colleagues I made. Those three years not only prepared me for my career but shaped the person I have become. I am beyond thankful for the experience I had and the doors that were opened because of the school psychology program and training I had at Roberts.

As I entered the working world I was filled with anxiety and excitement. Did I really have the skills to be a school psychologist? Would I really make a difference in the lives of the children I serviced? I had to face my apprehension head on when I received my first official job working for the Rochester City School District. I still remember the excitement of my first day, dressed in new “professional” clothes and a box of school supplies in hand eager to make a difference. Over the course of that school year I was bumped between buildings servicing a total of 4 schools with the main responsibility being assessment, it wasn’t the ideal role but I was thrilled to be working and grateful for the opportunity. Somehow I completed that first school year, totally stressed but much more confident. I was even fortunate enough to be nominated and awarded one of the Rochester City School District's New Educator of the Year Awards. Everything I learned at Roberts truly did prepare me to be a great school psychologist and the plaque I received is a token of that. I also passed the Praxis exam and could put the NCSP behind my name, another proud moment of validation. But even with these accomplishments when budget cuts hit, I was the bottom of the totem pole and that meant I was one of several psychologists cut that year. What would I do next?

That summer I interviewed at BOCES-2 and was offered a part time position servicing intellectually disabled students with behavioral needs in a mental health role. Again I questioned myself, do I have the counseling skills needed to effectively impact these students? I had just spent a year doing mostly testing so I doubted myself. But I quickly learned that the skills I took from Roberts allowed me to service the students and families through counseling, collaboration and direct behavioral interventions. I spent a year developing yet a new skill set to take with me on my journey. That summer I worked with yet another population in a Therapeutic Day Program which included padded rooms and de-escalation plans. But again my experience at BOCES-2 ended and that’s when the opportunity opened for the job I have now.

For the past three years I have been working for the Geneva City School District at the Middle School building. I have absolutely loved my role as the school psychologist at GMS which encompasses all the skill sets endorsed by NASP that we were trained in at Roberts. Every day is different and includes a little bit of everything including assessment, counseling, consultation, RTI, data interpretation, 504/IEP writing and behavior support. Each day I am thankful for the career I have and to Roberts’s for the training I received to be the school psychologist I am today. I have certainly found my calling and look forward to a career dedicated to helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally.

Stacy DiMartino, NCSP