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President's Column

Find your voice at APA's convention

My first APA convention was career changing. Let this year’s convention help open those doors for you, too.

By Rosie Phillips Davis, PhD, APA president

May 2019, Vol 50, No. 5

Print version: page 6

2 min read

APA Style leaf logo Cite This Article in APA Style
Davis, R. P. (2019, May 1). Find your voice at APA's convention. Monitor on Psychology, 50(5). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/05/pc

APA President, Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis

I was one scared young psychologist in 1983 when I attended my first APA Annual Convention in Anaheim, California. I hardly knew anyone and sure didn’t have anybody to hang out with. I was part of a panel presenting research on John Holland’s vocational theory and assessment instruments to a large audience in a huge room. I was honored to share my research. During my presentation, a prominent psychologist whom I admired challenged my work. Wow, that was intimidating! But it was also an opportunity for me to lean in and learn. So, I engaged with the challenger and was grateful for the chance to interact and explain my findings. With that success, it struck me that I had found a professional home.

Many other experiences at APA conventions have reinforced that ­feeling. Over the years, colleagues have asked me to collaborate with them at convention. In fact, one of the ways that I became involved in APA governance was when I mentioned to then-Div. 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) President Dr. Naomi Meara that I did not feel that there was an opportunity for me to acquire leadership skills at APA. She promptly asked me to chair a committee. I said yes.

Since I am a shy person, those "yeses" often leave me shaking in my boots. But like most psychologists, I want to make a difference, so I take the leap of faith. My sense of home was further ­strengthened when I found the Section of Black Women in Div. 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women).

Going to APA’s convention has helped me to find my voice. I learned that I can be publicly challenged and grow. I learned that I could take on new leadership roles. I found like-minded psychologists who became my trusted colleagues and friends.

I want you to find your voice, too. This year, more than 10,000 of us will gather for the APA Annual Convention in Chicago, Aug. 8–11. The attendees will be very diverse; the sessions will be scientific and applied. You will find things to do that are service-oriented and some that are just fun. Chicago is a city rich in history and things to see and do.

I invite you to join us, and please come talk to me if you are seeking a kindred spirit. There is a home for you at APA, too. 

To register for APA’s Annual Convention, go to www.apa.org/convention. The early bird discounted registration fees end after May 15.

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