College of Education Outstanding Graduate & School Psychologist: Jennifer Montepeque Diaz
College of Education Outstanding Graduate Jennifer Montepeque Diaz is off to the Los Angeles Unified School District to work as a school psychologist. Recently graduating this past May with her Education Specialist degree (Ed. S.) in School Psychology, Montepeque Diaz also received the honor of Outstanding Graduate for the College, an award reserved for a student with exemplary academic achievements and service contributions to the campus and community.
During her graduate program Montepeque Diaz held a part-time job, participated in vital fieldwork, managed a full schedule of classes, and also found time to enrich her experience further by participating in a Federal OSEP Transition Training Grant. This federal grant allowed her to provide postsecondary transition services to high school students with disabilities. Additionally, she added a school psychology internship to her plate her final year in school.
Sharing her graduate program experience, Montepeque Diaz credits her cohort with being part of her favorite College of Education memories. "My cohort is really something special," says Montepeque Diaz. "We are a 23-person family that formed a strong bond in the three years of our program. We created so many memories together from potlucks in between classes to travelling around the country for conferences. However, the best memory came recently. Since our commencement ceremony was postponed indefinitely, our cohort organized a socially-distant, parking lot graduation ceremony in our caps and gowns. I was even able to Photoshop us all into one last 'group' photo at the 'Go Beach' sign. That moment really encompassed the mutual love and support we have for each other."
Immediate future plans include her new job at LA Unified as a school psychologist in the South Unit, the same unit that Montepeque Diaz went through when she was a student herself. “I am really excited because I went through the LAUSD South Unit for my K-12 education and it will be a great opportunity to be a part of the district that contributed so much to my own education. Further along in the future I would consider going back to school and completing a doctorate program.”
