hopeful view, passionately curious

Kimberly Marie Aaron, a graduate student from Pineville, is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy.

I will assist in teaching the MAFT 521, Maladaptive Behavior, course for the second time this fall. I work as a therapist intern at the ULM Marriage and Family Therapy Center, providing therapeutic services to a wide variety of individuals and families from our community. I also work as a therapist intern for the 4th Judicial District Juvenile Drug Court. It has been one of the most powerful learning experiences of my life. I enjoy spending time with my friends and returning to my first love, singing. I am part of a music ministry at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria, and I have been heavily involved in contemporary liturgical music for many years.

Ultimately, I would like to share my passion for learning and for relationships through teaching at a university. I have realized that to teach is to learn, and vice versa, and this has become a very valued part of my life. I also hope to open a private practice. Furthermore, I would like to help develop a Catholic Family Services program in my home diocese, which would offer individual, couple, and family therapy as well as marriage preparatory and enrichment services and family enrichment retreats. I also hope to invest time in qualitative research, specifically in the area of family life stories.

My favorite spot on campus is the back patio behind the MFT house. It overlooks the bayou, which on most occasions, is an extraordinary sight to behold. It reminds me of sitting out on the banks of the lake at the camp my great-grandparents owned when I was young. Sitting in the shade and looking out onto the water somehow always brings me serenity. When school and life get to be a little overwhelming, it's nice to sit out there, alone or with my friends, and just breathe.

Possibly the greatest lesson that I have learned—from a combination of professors—is that everyone is doing the best that he or she can with what he or she has at any given moment. People have a tendency toward goodness and self-preservation. I truly believe that this non-pathological, non-blaming stance is a very hopeful way to view the world and the people in it.

Dr. Charles Pryor has taught me diligence and discipline. He has been a mentor for professionalism, but more than that, he has been like a father to me. I recently told my mother that if something were to happen to my own father, I would want Dr. Pryor to walk me down the aisle.

Dr. Jana Sutton has also had a profound impact on my experience here at ULM. Both inside the classroom and out, she has taught me that it is possible to be a woman who has it all: intelligence, scholarship, professional integrity and respect, a great family, style, wit and grace. I want to be like her when I grow up.

I have made life-long friends during my stay here. One of my favorite experiences is the Thanksgiving luncheon that we have each year for our MFT family. We have a huge potluck dinner, and everyone gathers together to share a great meal and some rare time together. This program keeps students and professors very busy, and it is not often that we have the opportunity to really sit down and spend the afternoon enjoying one another's company. The air is crisp, there is excitement buzzing from a new school year, and there is reflection on the things we have accomplished and hope to accomplish in the future.

My experiences in ULM's MFT program have truly affected the person I am today. I have learned many lessons inside the classroom. Perhaps, though, the most valuable lessons I have learned have been the life lessons that happened in the seemingly mundane moments of each day. I have learned how to collaborate effectively with others, even when their opinions or perspectives are different from my own. I have learned to appreciate and value difference as a point for possible growth and learning. I have learned to be mindful of the way that I interact with others and the way in which others respond to me. I have learned that there are times when you should speak, and times when silence says more than any word ever could. I have learned that the more I know, the more I don't know, and that understanding drives me to be passionately curious. I pray that I never lose that passion to monotony. Most importantly, I have learned that "family" has nothing to do with the people you are biologically related to and everything to do with the people who help you become the best version of yourself. I am lucky to be surrounded by a great family, some of whom are connected to me by blood, all of whom are connected to me by love and respect.

From the first moment that I stepped on campus, I felt that I could be at home here. Academically, ULM's MFT program is one of the finest in the country. I think it could be likened in some ways to a pearl of great price—it is hidden right under our noses and often is hard to appreciate until you look out over the ocean to see what else is around.