From TV inspiration to academic aspiration
Marlene Carrasco Lechuga's journey in psychology at ASU West Valley campus
By Mariana Lozovanu | August 1, 2024
Editor’s note
Marlene Carrasco Lechuga is a psychology major at ASU West Valley, driven by an early interest in understanding human behavior sparked by a TV show she watched in eighth grade. She values the smaller, more intimate campus of New College, which she chose over the larger Tempe campus. Marlene's academic journey has been enriched by her involvement in a research lab under Dr. Koop and Dr. Cunningham, where she has gained valuable insights and experience. She appreciates the diverse opportunities within her psychology major, discovering a passion for working with numbers and data. Her future goals include becoming a professor, and she has been accepted into a master's program in psychology at ASU, where she will continue her research and teaching endeavors. Her advice to prospective students emphasizes the importance of early preparation, time management, and having clear goals for college.
Question: And what was your moment when you realized what you wanted to study?
Answer: Well, back when I was in eighth grade, I watched a show that had a psychologist. I don't remember the name of the show, but I thought it was really interesting how they could look at people and understand why they did the things they did. The show was fake and not really realistic, but it was my first exposure to psychology. I went to my history teacher, and she let me borrow some introductory psychology books. I carried them around school, trying to understand everything, but it was hard since I was only in eighth grade. As I went into high school, I became more interested in the criminology side of psychology.
Q: What made you choose New college?
A: I chose New College because I liked how small the campus was. I've always wanted to go to ASU since I was younger. I visited the Tempe campus, and when it came to looking at the different campuses, I realized it's not just Tempe; there are other campuses as well. I was always intimidated by Tempe because it was really big. Seeing that there's a West campus, which is a lot smaller and has beautiful green scenery, helped me decide. That's how I chose New College.
Q: What's something that you learned at New College that surprised you or changed your perspective in the classroom or otherwise?
A: Probably the diversity of my major is what stood out to me the most. Coming into it, I kind of thought it was just the typical path, like being a counselor. I was thinking of being a school counselor or something similar. However, after taking classes in statistics and discovering how much I enjoy working with numbers, I realized I could work behind the scenes as well. This career path offers more options than just being a counselor. That’s when I realized there’s so much more I can do. This is how I found the path I wanted to take with my major.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at New College, and what was that lesson?
A: I'm currently in a research lab with Dr. Koop and Dr. Cunningham, and I've been working with them for about a year now. I've learned a lot, not just about what goes into conducting research studies, but also through the various experiences they've provided. I've had the chance to meet many different people and see how diverse the campus is. All of this has shown me how cool it is to work as a professor, which has always been my goal. Seeing the behind-the-scenes aspects and getting a glimpse of what my future might look like has been really interesting.
Q: What's the best piece of advice you could offer to somebody considering applying to college?
A: My advice is to try your best starting from your freshman year of high school. Aim for good grades to help with scholarships and college applications. Developing time management skills early on is beneficial, even if you're not perfect. Taking college-level classes in high school can prepare you for the workload. Although the transition to college might still be challenging, prior experience helps. It's important to know what you want to achieve in college, whether it's academic success or social networking. Understanding your goals will help you feel less lost.
Q: What would you say to a student, considering your major? What would make a good candidate for your degree?
A: I feel like almost everybody would be a good candidate for psychology because, as I mentioned before, it's such a versatile degree. If you want to help people and be more hands-on, you can go into counseling or the clinical side. If you're interested in health or biology, you can explore the neuroscience part of psychology and study the brain. For those who like the behind-the-scenes work and enjoy numbers and math, there's the statistics aspect. Additionally, if you like writing, there's plenty of opportunity for that in psychology, such as writing articles. So, if you want to help people, psychology offers many different areas to match your personality and interests.
Q: What's your favorite location on campus, whether for studying for friends or just to enjoy it?
A: Recently, I've been spending a lot of time at Chick-fil-A. I like going there because it's a busy place where I can work on my homework and sometimes meet up with friends. I also really like the bench area in front of the café and the library because you can enjoy the greenery and people-watching. The library itself is great for meeting up with people and staying motivated to study.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: My plans after graduation include pursuing a master's program in psychology here. I will be doing that while also working as a part-time research assistant and teaching as well. My goal is to gain more experience in research, graduate from the program, and eventually become a professor.
Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years or more? How do you feel that New College has helped to prepare to get there?
A: Ten years ago, I mentioned that I've always wanted to be a professor. Hopefully, in ten years, I'll be teaching, preferably here. I feel like college has prepared me for that because I've taken some teaching assistant positions and gained experience. With my master's, I'll hopefully gain even more experience. Additionally, I've talked with many different people here through my research lab, which has motivated me to stay and keep working towards my goal.