I was a student in the Psychology Department at Pennsylvania State University. From there, I received my graduate training at the University of Denver, again in the Psychology Department. At Denver, I found my identity as a developmental psychologist. I have always been interested in adolescents' perspectives about their social lives. How do they view their relationships with parents, peers, and mentors? How do they view themselves in their relationships with others? I am the child of an immigrant. My mother raised 7 children on her own and did not attend college. However, this is something that she always wanted for me. I'm confident that my own past drives my ongoing interest in this topic. I see myself in these young people. I want them to thrive in the lives that they are constructing that require them to bridge across cultures of ethnicity, race, and social class.
