Alex Chavez is our newest grad student joining the ISA team who is working as a career counselor and graduate research assistant. Here is a little bio from Alex himself,

"Hi, I'm Alex, a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Iowa. I work with the Iowa Sciences Academy as a Graduate Research Assistant and Career Counselor, supporting students in their career and educational development. I also teach courses on career exploration, from beginning research experiences to navigating graduate school applications. 

'What do you want to be when you grow up?' is one of the first questions we're asked, starting a lifelong process of career exploration that never really stops. I enjoy being part of that process with students, helping them figure out how their values, strengths, and interests come together to shape a path that fits. 

Before starting my doctorate, I earned a B.S. in Psychology and studied cello at Drake University. As a first-generation college student, I remember navigating the college and graduate school application process without a clear map, encountering unspoken rules and norms that no one had explained to me. These experiences shape my work today. My research focuses on the barriers that first-generation, low-income, and racial and ethnic minority students face in applying to graduate school, and interventions that build their confidence and ownership of that process. 

I try to make processes like applying to graduate school, starting research or figure out what comes after undergrad feel less mysterious and more manageable. I want students to understand the larger structural barriers that shape careers, not just their individual choices, while also building their sense of personal agency over what is within their control. 

Students ask me about what follows undergrad, applying to graduate school, career decisions, and imposter syndrome. I also review CVs, resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. 

You don't need to have it all figured out to reach out. I'm happy to think it through with you, wherever you  are in the process." 

We are extremely excited to have Alex on board. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting with him, stop by the Iowa Science Academy office, 169 Biology Building, to chat with him.