Samantha Avalos

Samantha Avalos is a first-year graduate student pursuing an Ed.S. in School Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. Her pronouns are She/Her/Ella. She graduated cum laude from California State University, Fullerton, in the spring of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. 

 

For her undergraduate studies, she was a teaching assistant for PSYC 300 (Intermediate Research Methods) and a research assistant for forensic psychologist Dr. Russel Espinoza.  As a research assistant, she ran, collected, and analyzed data in a study regarding prejudice and aversive racism within the justice system. During her time in the lab, she presented her group's findings at the Western Psychological Association (WPA) conference in 2022 in Portland, Oregon.

 

Samantha worked as a registered behavior technician (RBT) for one year at ACES, providing in-home and clinical services in both English and Spanish to students. She is currently in her third school year as an RBT with the Corona-Norco Unified School District, gaining hands-on experience providing interim support to students facing behavioral challenges, emotional disabilities, and trauma histories. In these roles, she teaches social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, applies applied behavior analysis (ABA) strategies, and trains faculty on intervention. She also collaborates with the faculty, including the school psychologist, to collect data for students undergoing assessments.

 

Her experiences have given her firsthand insight into the systemic issues that contribute to disparities and challenges for youth. She is interested in extending interventions beyond school settings into outside communities and juvenile detention centers, recognizing that these system-level reforms are essential for creating an educational environment where all students can succeed. She volunteers her time attending monthly meetings held by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Council (JJDP), where she contributes to initiatives supporting youth justice reform.

She is eager to contribute her practical experience, research-informed perspective, and dedication to fostering positive youth development and ensuring that all students receive the resources and support they need to thrive in the educational setting.

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One fun fact about Samantha is that while serving as senior class president, she collaborated with the West San Gabriel Valley Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) to organize the special education prom and even made it onto CBS News!