BY: Allison Stewart
With a coffee in hand, you can assure Alyssah Locklear and JR Lister are ready to go. These AUM seniors are currently pursuing their undergraduate degrees in psychology. Caffeine may help get them through their studies, but so does dedication and passion for their desired career.
Alyssah and JR both began their Warhawk journey in 2016. They did not start off as psychology majors. Instead, as they progressed through their academic years, they discovered psychology was the right path. Alyssah’s goal is to get her PhD in clinical psychology. She is currently looking at graduate school to make the next step. As for JR, he wants to be a hospital chaplain. He is looking to study at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. They both enjoy the tight-knit community here at AUM.
Not only does Alyssah love coffee, but she is also a Starbucks barista.
Alyssah’s goal for the fall semester is to make high grades in her classes. Also, she hopes to organize and begin applying to prospective graduate programs. For incoming psychology majors, Alyssah advises figuring out what you want to do with your major early on. You will be able to choose classes that reflect your career goals, which graduate schools will pay attention to.
When asked about her hobbies, Alyssah stated, “I love to travel. My favorite places I have been were Oxford, England and Northern California.” Alyssah wants to travel to Glacier National Park, Canada, Alaska and Italy. She also enjoys painting, which is her minor.
You can find Alyssah listening to any music that is indie or alternative. Her go-to coffee beverage is an iced vanilla latte. Ever since she started working at Starbucks, she discovered the tastiness of the Nitro cold brew. All in all, Alyssah is open to trying any type of coffee.
As for movies, she enjoys watching The Lord of the Rings films. She even named her cat “Pippin” after one of the characters.
Time management and securing all A’s are JR’s goals for the semester. JR shared that it is important for psychology majors to be careful in their course selections. Many courses will have similar information and concepts. It is important to pay close attention to the overall goal of each course to fully understand associated ideas.
Anyone who knows of JR is aware of his love for running. He is motivated by his passion to live a healthy lifestyle.
JR loves posting on Instagram and his favorite page is @runnerspace.
Saying that JR loves coffee may be an understatement. His go-to beverage is a cold brew with half and half. If you know of any good coffee shops, JR would be down to check out. He also enjoys watching ESPN and eating peanut butter.
This past summer, JR travelled to Flagstaff, Arizona. This is the number one place he’s travelled to. He had the opportunity to run with professional runners, which was a rewarding experience. He takes his training seriously, so being able to run alongside professionals created memories he will never forget. One day, JR hopes to visit Hawaii.
If you grab one of his earbuds, you are likely to find JR listening to Foster the People. Just like Alyssah, he enjoys anything alternative. He loves this quote by Muhammad Ali: “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”
As Alyssah and JR continue enjoying their last semesters at AUM, they are sure to be filled with lasting knowledge. So, let’s raise our coffee mugs to Alyssah and JR—cheers! If you run into these Warhawks (or if JR literally runs into you), make sure you say “Hello!”
Will you be the next Student Spotlight? Stay tuned for October’s highlights.