There’s something satisfying about the concept of coming full circle. Every song has a resolve. Each story has a denouement. And every plan, when followed with focus and passion, can come to a successful conclusion.
Psi Chi, celebrating our 90th year in 2019, is a society dedicated to its members. And that’s a big commitment considering we have over 800,000 lifetime members worldwide. Our mission is to both recognize and promote excellence in the science and application of psychology. Therefore, we cannot only look at our rich history and our highly accomplished distinguished members, we choose to, and feel as though we must, look forward. Who will be the next Albert Bandura or the next Elizabeth Loftus? The future of psychology is now and will shape how psychology is used, perceived and beneficial to society as a whole.
While looking to that future, Psi Chi has chosen to honor someone from the past. Inez Beverly Prosser, PhD, is considered the first, African American woman to receive a PhD in the U.S. A pioneer, Prosser, paved the way for so many after her, setting a new example of what the face of psychology can look like. A committee of dedicated volunteers is now working to raise $50,000 towards The Inez Beverly Prosser Psi Chi Scholarship for Women of Color. Once that $50,000 is raised, Psi Chi has committed to match that to fully endow the scholarship.
This commitment stems from Psi Chi’s long desire to support and promote excellence in psychology no matter race, religion, school of thought or other criteria. And now, not only do we want to support excellence, but we want to help put forth a new face in psychology: a diverse face representative of the diverse community psychology serves.
This commitment is mirrored by APA’s I Am Psyched initiative. I was fortunate enough to see the exhibit at APA in Washington D.C. in 2017. I attended that convention with Psi Chi’s now Past President Melanie Domenech Rodriguez, PhD, and Psi Chi’s executive director, Martha S. Zlokovich, PhD. The feeling of excitement young psychology students had in meeting and getting their photo taken with these two accomplished, female psychologists was contagious.
Further, I was able to also see and facilitate the I Am Psyched exhibit when it came to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga right across the street from Psi Chi’s Central Office. Meeting with and speaking with the young students so full of enthusiasm for psychology and so ready to take on the world really brought home the focus of Psi Chi’s commitment to members: we want to harness this enthusiasm for the science, and literally change the landscape of psychology. We want to support all students of psychology who strive for and achieve excellence in psychology.
Thinking of Psi Chi’s current effort of raising funds to endow a scholarship for women of color also makes me think of Inez Beverly Prosser the woman. We know from research how difficult it is to break out of the conformity of a group. For Prosser to obtain her PhD from University of Cincinnati must have been the challenge of a lifetime and the success of one as well.
When I saw those young, eager faces I can’t help but think of Prosser and her impact on their lives. Just as the I Am Psyched initiative explores the history and contemporary contributions of women of color in psychology as they engage in psychological science, practice and social justice, Psi Chi is looking to empower women of color who pursue psychological science.
This genuine dedication of both organizations to the support and empowerment of women of color is a full-circle moment. Both organizations work each day to promote psychology for everyone. In their combined decades of service to the science, both organizations have committed to the ever-changing landscape that is psychology.
Full-circle will also be achieved when Psi Chi is able to award the first recipient of the Inez Beverly Prosser Psi Chi Scholarship for Women of Color. We look forward to that day very much. Until then, Psi Chi will continue to learn from our members and recognize how better to support them. One way to do that is to remember our past. But the more exhilarating way is to look to the future.
Every time I am able to speak to a young, student member of Psi Chi I am reminded why I come into work each day. It is their level of excitement, thirst for knowledge, and unbridled willingness to grow and excel that makes me proud to be a part of the Psi Chi mission. Full-circle for me sometime occurs on a daily basis. When faced with the daily responsibilities of my leadership role at Psi Chi, just one brief conversation on the phone or in-person with a Psi Chi student officer and I am refreshed and reminded of that very mission to both recognize and promote excellence in psychology.
The Psi Chi Board, leadership staff, and our generous donors, are “all-in” on building the future of psychology. We know, and we’re spreading the word, that we are a part of something very special and very big. We are a Society dedicated to excellence that is actually inclusive: yes, despite our requirements to join, we want every single student who can join to be able to join and we want our membership to be reflective of campuses worldwide. The only way to successfully do that is to invest in our members through programs like the Psi Chi scholarship program.
“The future is now”; those words are attributed to artist Nam June Paik. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power. ... And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
While Psi Chi has much to be proud of in our 90-year history, we realize that the future is now. The future of psychology is currently learning, growing, researching and building upon past successes. The endowment of this scholarship will take time, the clear focus of many, and the generosity of donors. But that moment, that wonderful and fulfilling moment when we award this scholarship to the first-ever winner, will be a full circle moment indeed.
About the author
Cynthia Wilson is the director of membership and development with Psi Chi. Cynthia has a decade of experience in nonprofit management and in fundraising. She holds a master’s in public administration and is a certified fund raising executive. In her free time, she likes to cook, read, write and travel to new and exciting places with her husband John.
