Internship, Leadership Roles Prepare Graduate Student for Clinical Therapist Position

Kelice Agosto M’23, who will graduate with an M.A. in Forensic Mental Health Counseling, has secured a position as a clinical therapist at Massachusetts Treatment Center in Bridgewater, Mass. Agosto has been named the Graduate Student Commencement Speaker and will address her peers on May 19.  

Real-World Experience: “My internship at the Rhode Island State Psychiatric Hospital helped me take what I learned from the classroom and apply it to real world settings. I learned how to conduct competency to stand trial evaluations with individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. In my Law and Mental Health class, I learned about the issues the criminal justice system and mental health care faced. At my internship, I witnessed how those issues affected the patients that I worked with.”   

Campus Involvement: “My involvement on campus has given me opportunities to work with a wide variety of people and personalities. As a graduate assistant at the Intercultural Center, I learned how to apply diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in both an academic setting but also a wide variety of other settings. This is important as I will be working with forensic populations from various backgrounds. As an advisor for the Barbershop Club and Rhythm N' Roots, I've been able to improve my leadership, communication, and public speaking skills – all of which are transferable skills for my career as a mental health professional.”  

Many Mentors at RWU: “Professor Matt Zaitchik was my RWU supervisor for my internship, and I truly saw him as my mentor. Anytime I had questions, he was always willing to help me find the answers. He challenged me to critically think and gave me a different/new perspective when it came to my cases. From the DEI office, Michael Walsh, Aleyra Lamarche, Stephanie Akunvabey, Chris Calienes, and Jamie Wire all helped me grow in my understanding of DEI work in higher education, to be confident in myself and be comfortable in my own skin and to push boundaries in a healthy way.”  

Agosto, who has a B.S. in Psychology from North Carolina Central University, is from Raleigh, N.C. 

Every spring, as Commencement nears, RWU spotlights members of the graduating class. Suggestions are welcome. Email: stories@rwu.edu