Paiten Kelly

Area of Research

I am currently a student in the Applied Behavioral Analysis program, where we study human behavior and the way people do things. We also work with businesses, studying the way people in businesses work to see if we can change the environment or other things to make people more functional.

My Passion

I really want to help kids who have behavioral disorders or any type of disabilities in schools be able to be successful. Unfortunately, a lot of times, those are kids who have to drop out, or get office referrals back to back, or get sent to prison because they have some kind of disability, when really the behavior can be stopped in the classroom and it never has to get that far.

Be the Change

I hear kids saying things like “Oh, well my dad went to prison so I’m going to prison,” or “this is happening at home so why should I try?” They don’t think that Black kids do things like be successful, and I think just my presence has helped a lot of kids.

Dig a Little Deeper

Being in graduate school means more than just having the degree. It shows your dedication for your desired area of study, and it really gives you a more in-depth view of whatever it is you want to do in life, which you just can’t get in undergraduate studies.

Advice

I knew that I was prepared, but there's still kind of that stigma sometimes of questioning if you're going to be good enough, smart enough, or ready enough to do graduate school, and I think anyone who wants to pursue their graduate education should try. Because you never know until you get there, and if it's something that you are serious enough about to want to spend two or three more years of your life just learning about that specific thing, then you have enough drive to do the work.

Last Words

My favorite quotation came from a coach I had when I was younger who made me memorize poems: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” I think that kind of sums who I am as a person, and it also sums up the kids who I work with, because I feel like a lot of times they kind of look down on themselves and society kind of looks down on them. And I think that sometimes society is scared that they are actually going to be someone. They may not realize it now, but I’m going to help them be someone.