Stanley Thermidor
California State University, Northridge
Stanley Thermidor is a first-year transfer student and a Psychology major at California State University, Northridge. He is deeply dedicated to creating positive change, especially for the prison re-entry population. He takes initiative and works diligently to create awareness about and build community with formerly incarcerated students. He engages these efforts by creating support networks, including connecting with university leadership and public representatives. His efforts create educational opportunities for people in leadership positions and the larger community to better understand this population's struggles and genuinely develop support. His career plans are to obtain a doctoral degree and research incarceration recidivism factors from a psychological perspective.
Personal Statement
My academic achievements and volunteer activities are all in line with my passion for helping others. I am in pursuit of my Ph.D. to do clinical work with those who are suffering from unresolved trauma. As someone who has dealt with mental issues because of unresolved trauma and as one who is formerly incarcerated, I understand the struggles and negative coping skills that arise as a result. I want to do research and public policy work that addresses mental health issues in a more comprehensive way than we are currently seeing. I have aligned with organizations that serve those who are formerly incarcerated like the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Project Rebound. Furthermore, I have been able to help pass out food to those who are food insecure in a state that throws away tons of food. As chairman and part of the Mission Committee at my church, we provide resources for women who have unwanted pregnancies, women who have been on drugs or homeless, and people who are struggling financially and have lost hope. Pursuing higher education is not just to better myself, but to help those in the community who have been forgotten or written off as a lost cause.
