Farewell USF

In this week’s blog, we share a warm farewell to our Communications Assistant, Aisha Williamson-Raun ’23, as she ventures onto her next journey post-grad. After being with the McCarthy Center for 2 years, find out where she will go next and where her passions lie for the future. 

I spent the last 4 years with so much confusion and uncertainty (which I’ve come to understand is an obstacle necessary in college) and I’m not sure how it happened, but here’s a rundown: after 4 years at the University of San Francisco, I got my BA in Psychology with a minor in Public Service & Community Engagement, got the chance to work in 2 amazing research labs in the Department of Psychology, spent a year with Leslie Lombre at the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good as a Communications Assistant, volunteered with NAMI San Francisco as an educational mental health presenter with Andrew Tuttle, and made tons more memories with the most inspiring friends, mentors, colleagues, and teachers.

I found the McCarthy Center amidst a time when I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do in this world, with one goal – to help others. During my search for an opportunity, I came across the Community Empowerment Activists program, which changed the course of my college experience for the better. Soon after, I was given the chance to work as the Communications Assistant and I was so happy to show the rest of the school what the Center had to offer. Internships, community engagement, activism, family, and so much more. Finally, I decided to add the Center’s Public Service and Community Engagement minor where I was able to connect my passion for psychology and community engagement together. I wrote my final paper on Multicultural Mental Health Accessibility, highlighting the need for mental health resource accessibility for communities of color as well as future possibilities for making mental health care more accessible across multicultural communities. Little did I know that I would continue working towards making this a truth after graduating.

Now, I’m still confused (an obstacle I realized I’ll always encounter) as I run head into my post-grad life, but I know I’ll figure it out. Soon, I will be working with the most caring individuals at NAMI San Francisco as I begin my new position as their Resource Coordinator to support members of the community find the mental health care that they need. I will also continue working with Joyce P. Yang, PhD as a research assistant in the Research on Equity and Action for Community Health (REACH) Lab focusing on mental health needs and unjust barriers. I appreciate each heart that has touched mine and cannot wait to see where everyone’s journey takes them.

I can’t thank the Leo T. McCarthy Center enough for the opportunities, family, and lessons that it has taught me throughout the past 2 years at USF. I have grown in many ways and will always remember how the Center nourished my passions, skills, and potential as a confused student finding her way in the world.

Learn more about our Community Empowerment Activists program and minor in Public Service &  Community Engagement!