Leonora Lucaj

What do you do for the School of Engineering? 

I am an advisor for undeclared students in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Why did you choose to major in Psychology and how has that affected your career thus far?  

I chose Psychology because I enjoyed learning about the mind and human behavior. I also had an interest in mental health and how early development can affect you later in life -- attachment theory was one of my favorite topics in school! This caused me to be interested in helping and working with people.

What was your career path like?

After graduating, I did City Year in Detroit for one year. During that experience I realized I wanted to get an MSW, but also that I was interested in Higher Education. I started applying to administrative assistant jobs at colleges and this position at UM in the Chemistry Department. After one year in that role, I did my MSW and had a few internships/work experiences along the way (Dean of Students, Blavin Scholars Program, Psychology Advisor, Peer Advisor in Education Abroad, SSW Orientation Leader/Mentor, and Graduate Student Instructor). After graduating with my MSW, I applied to jobs at UM and starting working at the Engineering Advising Center in May '17.

What advice do you have for students getting a degree in the UM Psychology Department who are considering your profession?

I would suggest them to look at getting experience doing peer advising while in college. Many departments offer this service to their students and are often looking for new peer advisors to staff their offices! I think it's a good idea to do some shadowing and network with others in this profession as well.

How do you use your psychology undergraduate experience in your work?

I use it all the time. My background in Psychology gave me excellent people skills. I also use a lot about wellness, mental health, and the transition to college since I work with freshman. I took a Emerging Adulthood class in undergrad that was super helpful for the work I do now. All of my developmental Psychology classes were helpful as well!

What has contributed most to your career success?

Networking! This has been huge. As an undergrad and in grad school, I constantly was working on building my network. I wanted to connect with others that had similar interests and see where they ended up and learn more about their career paths. I really wanted to work at UM and knowing people here was super helpful when I was job searching. 

What memories do you have about the Psychology Department here at U of M?

The staff in advising are incredible! They were so helpful no matter what question I had. I was actually a peer advisor and then a grad student advisor so I spent a lot of time in that office. The faculty are also some of the best in the college. I learned so much from their courses and research.