Zayna Thompson graduated with dual majors in Psychology and Biology in 2017. She left NMT to complete her Master's in advertising at UT Austin in 2019. Since then, Zayna has been working as a digital strategist at an advertising technology company.
Question 1. How did you end up being a psychology student at NMT? What led you to decide to enroll/switch?
At first, I wanted to be a teacher, but her favorite classes in community college were Biology and Psychology. My now husband was going to NMT and talked me into looking at the psychology department and meeting with Dr. Samuels. I loved the small classes, science-focused courses, and the friendly professors. Plus, she thought the NMT campus was beautiful!

Question 2. What were some of your favorite parts as a psychology student at NMT? Is it Assignments? Research? or Personal relationships?
I loved learning and continue to do so today. The friendships were the best part. Teachers know you by name and want you to succeed.

Question 3. How have the skills and concepts that you learned as a psychology student helped you later in your educational journey and/or career?
I use psychology every day. This includes why do people do what they do? My psychology degree taught me how to test ideas and use facts to make decisions. Advertising is about creative ideas and how peopel think. I learned a safe way for completing tasks at NMT. You can research all day long and have all the knowledge in the world, but it's not helpful if you cannot apply it. NMT taught me how to do that.

Question 4. What would you say to someone considering pursuing psychology at NMT to help make up their mind?
Do it. Small class sizes, affordable tuition, and a strong science-based degree make it a great choice. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Crystal Ashinhurst

Information about Crystal Ashinhurst

“NMT gave me a philosophy towards learning, the specific process, and the role of research that has never stopped to be relevant”

Question 1. Can you tell us how you ended up being a psychology student at NMT? What led you to decide to enroll/switch?
I became interested in studying the mind and behavior (clinical psychology) in my third year of high school. I took a college class at a community college and enjoyed it. I chose psychology even though I did not know exactly what course I wanted. As a member of MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement), I had already looked at New Mexico Tech many times. NMT seemed different and more focused on learning than other colleges in New Mexico.  Also, NMT allowed students to get many scholarships in addition to receiving the Lottery Scholarship. The quality of education for the low cost of attendance was just too good to pass up.

Question 2. What were some of your favorite parts as a psychology student at NMT? Is it Assignments? Research? or Personal relationships?
The psychology office at NMT was very small, but for that reason it was also very friendly. I could count on seeing the same familiar faces in all of my psychology classes. I was able to quickly build friendship with my professors. The professors were also very able to go to. I felt free to go to their offices anytime I happened to be walking through Cramer Hall. My first semester included Experimental Psychology with good hands-on labs. We measured our own blind spots, tested whether a person could tell that they were being watched, and took Miracle Fruit tablets to experience taste change. I was able to join a research project that started with just myself and one other student. We meet with our professor during the summer to eat cup ramen in the psychology office break room. By the time I graduated, our research got published and my name was on it!. I performed brain surgery on mice, and spent more hours than I could count sitting in front of a machine that slices thin layers of frozen tissue samples. Also, your peers tend to become really mistrustful about your opinion of them as soon as they find out you’re a psychology student. You can probably have some fun with that fact if you anticipate it.

Question 3. How have the skills and concepts that you learned as a psychology student helped you later in
your educational journey and/or career?
NMT gave me a philosophy towards learning, and the role of research that has never stopped to be relevant. I’m now in a program that shows the importance of research in continuing the profession. Being up to date on the latest studies in the field of counseling psychology is an important. It allows you to select the best treatment approaches possible to serve your guest. There is an important link between research and clinical practice. NMT helped me learn to go through and value scientific studies.

Question 4. What would you say to someone considering pursuing psychology at NMT to help make up
their mind?
NMT is a great place to go if you want to be a part of a familiar and very intelligent community. The psychology office is very welcoming and will equip you to succeed in whatever path you choose in this different field. I hope you don’t mind small towns, though.