Fresh Perspectives and Doctoral Student Leadership in Action: A Symposium at the 2026 Western Psychological Association Annual Convention
The 106th annual Western Psychological Association (WPA) conference was held on April 30th, 2026, in Tacoma, Washington, where students and professors from Alliant University, Fresno, discussed the importance of student leadership in clinical settings, public scholarship, and community engagement.
Under faculty mentorship, students affiliated with the Graduate Psychology Education Grant (GPE) engaged in innovative projects that created impact within their clinical community by collaborating with residents and professionals.
One graduate student created a Spanish-speaking support group, Isolation and Resilience, in a California State Prison to address significant linguistic and cultural barriers, which impact access to culturally responsive mental health care.
Another graduate student team articulated a strong rationale for creating projects in rural communities. Projects such as the Parent/Child Workshop, Growing Well: Integrative Care for Moms, Babies and Toddlers, and Meeting Parents Where They Are: Improving Behavioral Health Engagement in Rural Clinic addressed rural community needs through flexible, community-embedded approaches to increase engagement and reduce mental health stigma. Student clinicians incorporated community engagement, local resources, and psychoeducation to address mental health challenges.
Lastly, the symposium focused on the impact of creating graduate programs that synthesize education and community outreach in an integrated behavioral health model, as well as allowing the same clinical students to develop professional skills through mentorship. The projects Making Psychology Accessible: Student Engaging in Public Scholarship and Student Leadership for Community Impact: The Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program discussed the high demand for psychologists within the Central Valley of California and how access to public scholarship allows a larger audience to obtain collaborations and engage with mental health literature. They concluded that the student assistant roles contribute to broader professional identity formation and cross-cutting capacities like communication and teamwork — that extend beyond disciplinary knowledge alone.
The need for public mental health professionals who can bring fresh ideas to light is essential for supporting the local community and those it serves. The symposium is evidence that when students are given the resources and willing mentors, innovative ideas take shape – creating change within communities no matter the size.
Acknowledgements:
Student Leadership through Action: Innovative Clinical Projects, Public Scholarship, and Community Building // Chair: Ya-Shu Liang
Developing a Spanish-Speaking Support Group in a California State Prison // Rodolpho Tapia Lozano & Kathryn Yoshida
Fostering Resilience: Student Engagement in Rural Mental Health // Amber James, Emily Vargas, Rachel Ochoa-Valdez, & Francesca Kassing
Making Psychology Accessible: Students Engaging in Public Scholarship // Brianna Gill, Chloe Pertierra, & Ya-Shu Liang
Student Leadership for Community Impact: Challenges and Opportunities // Kimber Snowden, Andrea Arredondo T., & Ya-Shu Liang
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Andrea Arredondo T. is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PsyD program at Alliant University, Fresno. As a long-term Central Valley resident, she centers her clinical interests on working with children and adolescents in underserved communities.
