Kim Sharp '22
Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund Recipient: Spring 2023
Project: "Parent Satisfaction of the Special Education Process"
Sharp received a Spring 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) grant to attend the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado from February 7-10, 2023.
Sharp used the finding to pay for travel, lodging, and food. "Without the SAFE grant funding, I would have been unable to attend the various poster sessions, seminars, and presentations at the NASP Conference," said Sharp. "I was able to make so many great connections, see the wide variety of roles that school psychologists play across states, and meet possible employers/supervisors for internship sites. I was able to make connections with those from Colorado and Texas that I would not usually be able to make at a local or state conference."
At the convention, Sharp and her classmate McKenzie Cook presented findings from their project “Parent Satisfaction with the Special Education Process.” Their paper reported the results of a multi-state parent perspective of the special education process and provided recommendations for improving the special education process to increase parent satisfaction. The research was advised by Dr. James Deni, professor in the Department of Psychology.
"This gave me experience in presenting in front of a larger crowd and attending a formal career event. Meeting and discussing careers and research with other school psychologists and students has helped me prepare for my internship and job interviews, as well as introduced me to topics within the field," shared Sharp.
Sharp graduated from Appalachian with her bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in education studies in 2022. She is pursuing her master's and specialist degrees in school psychology at App. This semester, she is completing her practicum with the Lincoln County School District.
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About the SAFE Fund
Initially endowed by Hughlene and Bill Frank, the College of Arts and Sciences Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund provides resources that can be used to support undergraduate, graduate and faculty experiences. The SAFE Fund provides funding for college priorities and opportunities that arise throughout the year. These unrestricted funds support student and faculty travel, publication support for faculty and student research opportunities. Learn more at: https://cas.appstate.edu/students/student-and-faculty-excellence-safe-fund.
About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology
Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: experimental psychology (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (PsyD). Learn more at https://psych.appstate.edu.
Written by Madison Breedlove
Edited by Lauren Gibbs
March 26, 2024
BOONE, N.C.
Kim Sharp '22
Kim Sharp '22