Brielle Babcock

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree at FSU

I felt that a graduate degree would provide me with the resources and the ability to produce meaningful change, which I likely would not have been able to do without specialized training. I also wanted to become a professor, so that I could influence future students that look like me to pursue higher education. I did not have a professor that I related to as a Black woman until my fifth year of undergraduate studies, which was only because I sought out the class "Black Women in the Media." I think that more representation would encourage others to picture themselves with graduate degrees. I choose FSU because of their highly recognized reading research faculty and the Florida Center for Reading Research. I wanted to receive training from some of those professors that are leading the research in this field.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Reading research is extremely important because reading is an extremely necessary and functional skill to do well in our society. Reading not only opens opportunities but is also a safety skill--you need to read labels on medicine, road signs, legal documents. However, there is an alarming number of people who make it to adulthood and cannot read, which puts them at such a disadvantage. I hope that through my research and work, I can increase reading skills within the population so that more adults have a higher rate of reading proficiency. 

Career aspirations

I would like to be a professor who teaches a blend of Educational Psychology classes and Applied Behavior Analysis courses. I would also like to work with departments of education to help build more programs for early literacy intervention.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

Think about your end goal or your dream job and think about how graduate school is going to help prepare you for that opportunity. Graduate school is challenging at times, but it helps to keep that end goal in mind and remember why you're doing it.

Accomplishments during graduate career

I am honored to have been among the ten highest scored student-led posters for Educational Psychology at the American Psychological Association conference in 2023!