As the class of 2025 prepares to graduate five seniors plan to pursue a higher education in psychology. Seniors Hunter Nigey, Jadamarie Henry, Evangelyn Forte, Olivia Flynn and Lucia Linn explained why they chose to immerse themselves into the world of psychology and what impact they would like to make on their communities.
In the fall, Hunter will attend Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to double majoring in biology and psychology on a Pre-Med track, she plans to continue art, singing, writing poetry, and walking outside. Hunter aspires to go to medical school and eventually become a psychiatrist, specializing in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. Hunter reflected on how her friends at Sacred Heart have inspired her to pursue the field.
“My interest in psychology was truly sparked by the friendships I made at Sacred Heart,” Hunter said. “My friends noticed how easily I was able to read them and [..] that caused me to be more curious about what it was I was reading into. I discovered that I could notice small changes in people’s body language, voice, tics, etc… and use that information to gauge how someone is feeling.”
During her senior year, Hunter took Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology, AP Biology, Honors Neuroscience, and Honors Anatomy and Physiology. She explained that these classes and the support from her teachers pushed her to continue to pursue psychology at the college level.
“My passion has deepened so strongly through my AP Psychology class this year with Ms. [Jillian] Bozzi,” Hunter said. “She is truly an amazing teacher, and it is through her constant support and encouragement that I fully decided to pursue psychology in college. Other classes that have helped are my AP Biology class, taught by Mrs. [Kristin] Lisjak, my Honors Neuroscience class, taught by Ms. [Joyce] Reed, and my Honors Anatomy and Physiology class, taught by Mrs. [Sarah] Bergin, as they all elaborated on the complex biological background of human thought and the way our brains process different circumstances.”
Jadamarie will attend University of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City, New York where she will continue to play basketball at the collegiate level, as well as participate in diversity clubs, volleyball, and community service. Sacred Heart’s psychology and Neuroscience classes influenced Jadamarie’s hopes to eventually become a psychiatrist or therapist. She wants to help children and teenagers discover themselves. Jadamarie described how she found a passion for psychology.
“I think adolescent psychology is important because I believe the most prominent features, characteristics, and memories of a person develop at a young age,” Jadamarie said. “Originally, I always planned to study elementary education because I desired to be a child therapist or child psychologist. During my senior year, I took psychology because I figured it would be an interesting and helpful topic towards my college major and potential career. During my time taking the class I became inspired and realized I wanted to further my interest and pursue specifically psychology in college.”
Lucia plans to further her interest in psychology at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. During her time at Sacred Heart, her psychology class and Senior Seminar made her realize she wants to help the youth that struggle with their mental health.
“My senior seminar class and psychology elective [Introduction to Psychology College Prep] definitely sparked my interest,” Lucia said. “They helped me see how much I enjoy learning about the brain and human behavior. I’m really interested in clinical psychology, especially helping teens deal with anxiety, stress, and OCD. I think mental health in young people is super important and often overlooked. I hope to become a therapist or psychologist one day and want to support people who feel like they don’t have anyone to talk to.”
Evangelyn will pursue her interest in psychology at Villanova University in Villanoval, Pennsylvania. In addition to psychology, she plans to go down a pre-law track and minor in criminology. During her freshman year she hopes to play club volleyball and join the mock trial club, as well as the speech and debate club so she can gain experience with public speaking and debating.
“I am planning to go down the pre-law track and psychology with a minor in criminology was the best fit for my future,” Evangelyn said. “I hope that I can pursue my career in law and go to law school. I am very interested in studying human reactions and the psychological effects of why people respond the way they do and hope I can work with clients and understand the way their brain works.”
Olivia will be attending High Point University, in High Point, North Carolina in the fall. Oliva’s interest in psychology first sparked because of the therapists that have helped her throughout her life. The outlet these therapists provided for her is the same support Olivia wants everyone to have available to them. One person that greatly impacted her is Sacred Heart Upper School Psychologist, Dr. Schwartz. Olivia spoke on how Dr. Schwartz inspired her interest in becoming a therapist.
“My relationship with Sacred Heart Greenwich’s school psychologist, Dr. Schwartz helped deepen my passion for wanting to be a therapist,” Olivia said. “Throughout all 4 years of high school, I have found a lot of comfort in my relationship with Dr. Schwartz. This is the outlet and impact I hope to have on others in the future. I hope that by majoring in psychology, I will learn a lot more about myself and those around me, and hopefully become some sort of therapist after college.”
Featured Image by Eloise Liggitt ’26
