Alex Kinal

Current Position: Behavioral Health Technician in Northeast Philadelphia

My favorite part of GMercyU was the friendships I made. We may not talk every day, but we see each other’s accomplishments on social media and we always congratulate and are so proud of one another.

Journey to GMercyU

Alex Kinal graduated from Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in Levittown, Pa. in 2015.
During her freshman and sophomore years of college, she attended a school in upstate New York.

“I decided to transfer to GMercyU because I wanted to be closer to home while maintaining excellent academics and playing softball,” Alex said.

She had a few friends who attended GMercyU at the time and was quickly put in contact with the softball coach and her soon-to-be roommate.

On campus, Alex was a member of the softball team and was involved in Intramural sports.
During her senior year, she was inducted into PsyChi, the Psychology Honor Society and Chi Alpha Sigma, the National Student-Athlete Honor Society.

I would recommend GMercyU because it’s a good place to meet people, to get a good education, and to be involved in extracurricular activities. The students and staff are extremely supportive and want you to succeed. The student-to-professor ratio is pretty low, therefore making it easy to get a hold of professors.

Experience in the Psychology Program

Alex majored in Psychology and minored in Human Services at GMercyU.

“My experience with the program was great! I feel like I was well prepared and educated throughout my time at GMercyU. I was introduced to amazing teachers and incredible classmates who I keep in touch with to this day,” Alex said.

One faculty member that stood out to her is Dr. Rebecca Gullan and two classes that she enjoyed the most were Research Methods and Ethics.

“Those classes gave us so much freedom to explore things we were passionate about while incorporating them into what we were learning. These classes made me enjoy group projects,” Alex said.

Within the program, Alex conducted research for her capstone and research methods courses. For her research methods class, her group looked into the correlation between parenting styles and attachment within children. Her capstone project focused on the effects of concussions on athletes.

“I thoroughly enjoyed doing my capstone project,” Alex said.

In her senior year, Alex completed an internship with the Indian Creek Foundation after-school program. She mainly tracked data and ensured the safety of the children.

“I enjoyed my time there because I had never been around children with Autism until then. My internship made me want to help support children with special needs and be a voice for them,” Alex said.

Post-Graduation

After graduating from GMercyU, Alex has continued her education journey by obtaining her Master’s in Psychology. She graduated in December 2022.

My last few classes and GMercyU stuck with me, and I have been able to apply what I’ve learned three years ago to my studies now.

Alex has been working as a Behavioral Health Technician in Northeast Philadelphia since graduating from GMercyU. She really enjoys her job and her clients.

“My internship at Indian Creek Foundation made me want to work with children with special needs, and that is exactly what I do now. I love being able to form a rapport and relationship with these kids – being the one they trust. My clients are my best friends,” Alex said.