Lessons Learned from PAU’s 2025 Alumni Panel

As part of Student Appreciation Week 2025, The PAU Alumni Association and department of Student Success hosted a networking course, individual career coaching sessions, and our Alumni Panel! We were fortunate to hear from three insightful alumni: Dr. Stephanie Crocket, PsyD ’16, Madison Ledda-Simmons, MA ’22, and Dr. Kristel Nazzal, PhD ‘13. The conversation, presented in-person and virtually, was a valuable opportunity to learn and ask questions pertaining to the mental health field, personal growth, and life lessons.

Dr. Crockett kicked off the evening by naming the difficulties of presentations when someone has social anxiety, and the empowerment of working through it and settling into more leadership roles. Leadership was evident throughout the night, as each panelist shared their varying backgrounds and paths to the field. Dr. Nazzal moved into the field from a career in human resources, while Madison knew she wanted to enter the field in some capacity even during her undergraduate days and early work as a registered behavioral technician. All of the panelists mentioned their work in the field being important in multiple areas of their lives.

Our moderator, Chanel Matta-Ortiz, Interim Assistant Dean of Student Support, asked the panelists to share some experiences they didn’t anticipate when entering the field, and the responses were enlightening. Ledda-Simmons referenced that she went through school three separate times; the academic program itself, and “then you have your associateship and learn so much more that incorporates lessons from school, and then you study for the exam which is a very new way of learning what you know”. Stephanie shared that, “You can always switch things up as you change and your needs change. In grad school you’re under so much evaluation and it can feel very daunting. Then on the other side there aren’t constant eyes on you and then self-confidence and clinical voice can grow”. Kristel reflected on the challenges of feeling “stuck” in your work and the powerful realization that personal growth sets the tone for how deeply we can support growth in others.

The importance of community and self-care were a consistent theme throughout the evening, and Dr. Crocket discussed self-reflection as one way to discover barriers to community which can help overcome the anxiety of uncomfortable situations, and how to make your needs known to others. Ledda-Simmons discussed her experiences leveraging online spaces, and how showing up to a doctor’s office with business cards and a small gift can help find new clients. Kristel then tackled the perception of networking as transactional, and how she views it as an opportunity to give of herself, which usually results in good things being returned to her. This giving of self was also reflected in her views on self-care as self-compassion. So many daily thoughts are repetitive, which means the way we speak to ourselves inevitably shapes how we experience the rest of our lives. Stephanie and Madison shared the need for managing the expectations of your social battery, and finding spaces that are solely for yourself.

When asked about advice they received that resonated with them, Madison referenced the consistent reminders to be present in every moment, and not becoming overly self-critical. Dr. Crockett discovered how the world will make space for you when you embrace your unique identity, value, and authenticity. As the night wound down, Dr. Nazzal encouraged people to, “Remind yourself who you are and why you chose to do this. This concept rooted me as to why I was on that journey. Practice your skills, embrace ambiguity, and get excited about the unknown and the possibilities that life has in store for your career!”