Lucyann James (she/her/hers) is a first-year master’s student in the Rehabilitation Counseling program.

Where is your hometown?

Kingston, Jamaica

Where did you obtain your bachelor’s, and what were your major(s)?

I obtained my B.Sc. in Psychology at the University of the West Indies (UWI) located in St Andrew Jamaica.

What first interested you in psychology?

My interest in psychology came as an off hand thought that I could help people. It all happened serendipitously. A few days before deciding to apply for university I happened upon a situation that, at the time, didn’t seem like much but when I was completing the form, having not knowing prior what I had wanted to do, I realized that maybe counseling was my calling and that made me decide to go with psychology.

Why did you choose Ball State?

My younger sister attended Ball State and through her I knew that Ball State. I also wanted to go into counseling plus I had family living close by.

What do you think of your experience at Ball State as an MA student so far?

I feel truly welcomed here. There are many programs geared towards international students that have helped me to not become overwhelmed.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in research regarding my home country to look at the availability of resources for young people with disabilities. This research hits kind of close to home because of my own experiences trying to find resources for a family member.

What are your future plans and career goals?

For my future plans, I have a dream of working in my own private practice but also working with my government because I feel that there is always something that I can contribute to, not just for profit for myself, but to better the situation of my countrymen.

What are a few of your favorite hobbies?

I absolutely love to read. My favorite genres are romance, historical romance, and fantasy romance. In high school whenever I was commuting there was always a romance novel in my hand. I have developed the skill of reading while walking. I am a avid gamer as well as a anime watcher and manga reader.

What is your favorite time of the day and why?

I’m a night owl so my favorite time of day is night probably because I find it hard to wake up in the morning lol. I don’t know there’s just something kind of warm to me about the nights. when you’re in the home with everyone, even when you’re alone, you’re not truly alone because someone else is there. In the morning everyone goes their separate place but at night families are always together.

What’s something about you that people would be surprised to know?

I’m a hardcore gamer, as well as a anime fanatic. I go to conventions and purchase many merchandise.

How do you practice self-care?

If I am to be honest self-care for me is not going a hundred percent good. What I typically do when things aren’t going smooth I take a break and play some games. Playing mind numbing games takes a bit of ease off of me. Whenever I feel stuffy I sometimes get up and take a walk but other than that I don’t really have much self-care practices. I really should start working on that though.