Congratulations Psychology Graduates!

Congratulations on successfully finishing your degree in Psychology! You and your loved ones can truly take pride in this major life achievement. With the degree in hand you are standing on the cusp of a new beginning be it entering the job market or furthering your education by attending graduate school. This year, the excitement of a new chapter is tempered by the uncertainty and pain brought about by the COVID-19 health crisis. Many students lost family members and friends and many others were affected by the social isolation and the stress of the unclear road ahead.

There is no doubt in my mind that this period will test our resolve to carry on. I urge you to stay strong, focused and move forward with your plans deliberately and safely. As we emerge from this crisis, and we will emerge, the role of mental health professionals will be crucial for the healing process in the aftermath of the crisis. Your Psychology degree gives you the option to join the ranks of those professionals and to be a part of a new beginning.

The changing times also afford us new opportunities. This is the first time that I write this letter to our graduates as we are not able, at this time, to shake hands on the stage while family and friends cheer on, but I do think that we will keep this tradition going even when we are back to our routines. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to check back with the department and let us know about a career that you are starting or a graduate school that you enrolled in. Please look for the “alumni connections” button on the department of psychology home page! Hopefully, this is not “goodbye”, but rather “see you later!”

Sincerely,

Yoav Arieh
Chair, Department of Psychology