Meet a Psychology Spartan: Taylor Shippey

August 18, 2022 - Shelly DeJong

Taylor Shippey, a 2022 psychology major, has wasted no time since graduating. As a psychology undergraduate, Taylor discovered her passion for understanding, helping, and relating to people. As a graduate, she’s building upon her psychology skillset by entering the public relations field.

 

Congratulations on graduating this year! What are you up to currently?

I am currently in MSU's graduate program for Advertising and Public Relations. I am excited to take a new academic route and combine my passion for understanding and relating to people and use it to engage with others efficiently within public relations. 

I have always enjoyed social media and creating content for brands whose values align with mine. Being able to advocate for these brands or organizations is one of my passions. My knowledge from psychology will allow me to be successful at relating to others on a personal level and have a better understanding of techniques to efficiently gain people's attention to specific companies.

Favorite psych class as an undergrad?

My favorite psychology class as an undergrad was PSY302 Sensation and Perception taught by Dr. Mark Becker.  I learned about biological approaches to psychology in a way that brought a new perspective. Dr. Becker made engagement easy as we learned about the representation and interpretation of sensory information. I loved learning how our brains use our five senses to identify environments and sometimes even identify it incorrectly.

How did your psychology major prepare you for your graduate classes?

My psychology major prepared me for my graduate classes by allowing me to understand the brain's function in both a biological and behavioral aspect. I now use my understanding of how the brain works to relate to people in public relations and to build relationships and communication skills. I also use the understanding of what attracts the brain to specific marketing strategies. My first graduate course relied on psychology to teach ethical practices and methods for gaining a target audience's attention.

Favorite memory from your time in the psych department?

My favorite memory was when I participated in a  SONA research study where we learned about the skills of negotiating and the best ways to approach it. This was a fun group activity and interesting to observe how the results were statistically analyzed.

Any advice to underclassmen going into psych?

My biggest piece of advice to underclassmen going into psychology is to get involved! Reaching out to people and joining new groups is a great way to meet people to who you can relate. Not being afraid to get out of your comfort zone is what creates the best memories and friendships in college.