Lita P

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

King’s College London, MSc candidate in Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology

University of Cambridge, MPhil in Criminological Research; Distinction

Member of Trinity College

Dissertation: Paternal Incarceration & Adolescent Mental Health: Exploring Risk and Resilience in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study

 

Harvard University

B.A. in Psychology; GPA 4.0/4.0

Ethical Culture Fieldston School (NYC, USA), Class of 2015

GPA 3.97/4.0

SAT: 700 (Math), 730 (Reading), 750 (Verbal)

 

Honours & Awards

Manuel López-Rey Graduate Prize

Proximate accesserunt; awarded annually by the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge for the best performance on the MPhil program

Cambridge Trust Scholarship

Financial award given to international students of outstanding academic merit to help fund a degree at the University of Cambridge

Trinity Overseas Bursary

One of eleven scholarships awarded to overseas students by Trinity College to help fund a degree at the University of Cambridge

John Harvard Scholar

Awarded to those in the top 5% of each class; received my first, second, and third year at Harvard University

Detur Book Prize

Designated to first-year students at Harvard who achieve high academic excellence

 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Love Learning Tutors

Common Entrance: English; History; Maths; Study Skills

GCSE: Psychology; English; Study Skills

A-Level: Psychology; English; Study Skills; Admission Advice; Personal Statement; SAT (College Admissions Exam)

Private tutoring

Private tutor in the United States for clients ages 13-15 years old

Tutored in English and Maths

Designed original lesson plans and assisted with school assignments

Home-schooling assistance

Helped with the home learning of two students, Year 3 and Year 5, during the COVID-19 lockdown

Worked with them on all subjects, including English, Maths, and Sciences

Harvard University, Bureau of Study Counsel

Undergraduate tutor in Psychology, including Introduction to Psychological Sciences, Social Psychology, and Developmental Psychopathology

Youth in Prison Tutoring

Tutored at the long-term unit of a juvenile detention centre, working weekly with male inmates ages 16-20

Planned group lessons and helped inmates individually with G.E.D. work

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

COVID-19 Task Force on Domestic Violence

Researcher on a project conducting interviews with domestic violence service providers on the impact of lockdown policies on survivor outreach

Design resource content about gender-based violence that is accessible to the general public

 

Hotline Volunteer

Provided confidential night-time support services to university students via telephone and online messaging

Completed intensive 16-hour training on providing non-directive support to people with emotional disturbances, mental health problems, trauma histories, and suicidal ideation

 

Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR)

Participated in an intensive 40-hour training curriculum to become a Consent Advocate and Relationship Educator (CARE)

Planned workshops and events focusing on opening dialogue surrounding consent, rape  culture, sexual assault, and healthy relationships on campus

Led OSAPR workshops during first-year orientation week for incoming undergraduates

 

Harvard Laboratory for Youth Mental Health

Assisted with data entry and coding for lab’s randomized-controlled trials focusing on youth depression, anxiety, trauma, and conduct problems

Seaver Autism Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Scored and entered data for autism, neurodevelopmental, and genetic reports

Engaged in clinical observations of autism assessments

Harvard Office for Alumni Affairs and Development

Supervisor for the student-run program fundraising for the Harvard College Fund

 

SKILLS AND INTERESTS

My main area of academic focus is Psychology and Research Methods. I have strong English and writing skills, as I am currently pursuing a career in academia. I am trained in quantitative and qualitative data analysis and know various programming languages and software (R; SPSS; Stata; NVivo). I am also proficient in Spanish.

I am interested in youth mental health, specifically helping children from marginalized backgrounds. I am also passionate about criminal justice reform, relationship education, and politics. My other interests include football, film, hiking, traveling, and baking!
 

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Education has always been one of the main highlights of my life. I am fortunate enough to have been surrounded by teachers and mentors throughout the years who believed in me and helped build my confidence, even at times when I was struggling. I realize not everyone has this experience whilst in school, and I so I enjoy being able to be a student’s “cheerleader” through tutoring – bringing enthusiasm to each session and focusing on positive achievements, however small. I have many years of experience working with children from a variety of backgrounds, including primary school students, high-school students, fellow undergraduates, and even those in shelters and detention centres. I currently study Developmental Psychopathology and am pursuing a career in youth mental health. Since I’m still a (life-long) student myself, I can relate to the experiences of my pupils and will always try to form a bond based on mutual respect. Having attended university in both the United States and the United Kingdom, I can offer a unique perspective, bringing in various teaching techniques suitable for many different learning styles. I individualise my lessons, always keeping in mind a student’s interests, strengths, and preferred learning method. I aim to create an environment that is safe, supportive, and stimulating, and where all students can reach their full potential.