Letter from the Editors

Dear Readers,

This has been another rollercoaster year, and I continue to be amazed by the tenacity I see amongst all my colleagues and role models in this program. In my final letter as the Chief Editor of this newsletter, I wanted to leave you all with a reminder of its origins.

Peak to Peak was born from a desire to build a creative outlet that highlights the passions and accomplishments of the people within our DU school psych community. Its first conceptualization was in the spring of 2020, with Dr. Talapatra’s consult, when the pandemic was in full swing and none of us knew what the next week might bring. It was frankly a terrifying time, and I was also physically and mentally recovering from a ski accident that left me with five broken bones and a concussion. Inside that chaos, trying to stay on track to graduate, and only recently again being able to sit up by myself, I was routinely brought to tears by the love and support of my peers who rallied around me and carried me through those days. The power of this community shined so brightly to me then, extending vastly beyond WISC reports and lesson plans, and I wanted to find some small way to highlight these qualitative and priceless elements that can so easily go unseen.

I thought of this newsletter as an anchor of sorts, reminding us why we’re in this field, and who we remain outside of it, while being a platform that could float atop the virtual ocean of overwhelm besieging us. To maintain our sense of selves amidst our dedication to this vocation, and take the time to appreciate one another in all that we do, while navigating a global pandemic and the regular woes of graduate school at times felt like too much. But my hope for this little newsletter is that it continues to be a way to preserve these ideals, a way to remind us that we’re never alone on this journey, and for it to continue to grow and stretch its branches to become something better each year. I hope you all consider contributing to it, highlighting your voices and selves, and using this platform to reflect your own vision in the years that come.

Thank you always for your support and kindness, and for being part of this community.

Congratulations on finishing another year!

Take care,

~ Ashley Hudson, Peak to Peak Chief Editor

Spring/Summer 2022

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First-year Ari was nominated to give a TedTalk on their experiences with navigating the mental health system as a minor. Hear what they have to say!