Ambassadors,
Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology, PhD Student
Jana Onwonga is a doctoral student in counseling psychology in the Department of Educational, School, and Counseling, Psychology.
Research Interests: Jana studies how refugee experiences can inform the development of holistic interventions that would facilitate their successful reintegration into new societies. She also explores the resiliency and growth of survivors of trauma.
Campus Involvement: The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi)
Awards: Ridgel Fellowship, Norman Gysbers Endowment Fund
Future Plans: Jana hopes to engage in community advocacy, as well as start, coordinate, and/or consult programs and organizations that implement interventions to successfully reintegrate trauma survivors into society as productive, contributing, and thriving members. She also would like to be a practicing psychologist/clinician, in addition to teaching at a higher education institution.
“One of my best moments as a graduate student at Mizzou relates to my personal growth and healing process. Being in a new environment, and particularly in my field of Counseling Psychology, I have been inspired to self-reflect and get in touch with myself in ways that I had not done before.”