Karina Hamamouche has been a truly wonderful mentor to me during my time at Boston College. After spending a few years working as a general Research Assistant in the Boston College Infant and Child Cognition Lab, I was truly blessed to be paired with Karina as my mentor for my Senior Honors Thesis. Although extremely nervous to begin my thesis and not sure which idea to pursue, Karina helped me through every step of the process. While studying abroad during the second semester of my junior year, Karina did everything in her power to work with me and my schedule, so that I would not get behind on my thesis work. Constantly Skyping and emailing with me, she helped me formulate my ideas while abroad. She not only guided me through the research process, but pushed me to plan and think independently. Although having many more years of experience, Karina always treated me as an equal, encouraging me to discuss any ideas or questions with her. During our meetings, no question I would ask was too trivial. Even if I was confused on a minor aspect of an article or theory briefly mentioned, Karina would spend time explaining them to me - her paramount goal being my understanding and learning. She truly embodies the ideal of a teacher, in every sense of the word. Karina went above and beyond to help me succeed, inside and out of the laboratory environment. Even before I was her mentee, she helped me with my resume and summer applications for intern positions at highly competitive, Developmental Psychology programs. As her mentee, during my junior and senior years at Boston College and my semester abroad at University College London, she offered to read over drafts of my papers for difficult classes. She even helped me find possible post-graduate research positions, which combined my interests in Developmental and Clinical Psychology. Karina always seems to have time for me and her other students, despite her incredibly busy schedule. Her kindness to me is unparalleled and her mentorship abilities have significantly strengthened my research and critical thinking skills. I am so grateful to have Karina as a mentor and I couldn’t imagine my time at Boston College without Karina and her incredible guidance. Auburn Stephenson, Current Senior Thesis Student
Karina has been an extraordinary mentor to me throughout my years at Boston College. I first began working with Karina my freshman year, when I became her research assistant in the Infant and Child Cognition Lab. When I first started working in lab, I was extremely nervous about being in over my head, as I had no research experience before this. However, Karina immediately made me feel comfortable in lab. She encouraged me to ask any questions that came to mind and clearly wanted me to learn all that I could from her. In teaching me about the lab’s research, she has never been condescending or impatient. She has always treated me like an equal, despite having much more experience than me. She mentored me into becoming self-sufficient in lab, as I now feel comfortable with all of my research duties because of her guidance. Due to Karina’s amazing mentorship, I knew I wanted to continue working with her throughout my entire undergraduate career. I knew I wanted to pursue a senior thesis with her as well. The semester before my senior year, I studied abroad and was worried I was falling behind on beginning my senior thesis. But, Karina continued to mentor me while I was abroad. We emailed back and forth about ideas for my thesis. Once we decided on an idea, Karina sent me all the helpful psychology literature she could find relating to my subject. She was as dedicated a mentor as ever, even from half way around the world. Since returning to lab and starting work on my thesis, Karina’s mentorship has continued to guide me. She knows exactly when to step in and help and when to let me work independently. I truly feel confident in my research abilities in lab because I have had Karina as a mentor. Any student would be lucky to have her mentorship in their academic life. Kylie Gallo, Current Senior Thesis Student
Karina was a wonderful mentor to me during my summer internship at Boston College. As someone with minimal laboratory experience, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of mentorship and support as a summer intern from a different college. My time working with Karina surpassed all of my expectations. She consistently went the extra mile to make sure that I felt supported, from learning how to run studies to data coding and analysis. Despite my impermanence in the ICCL, Karina made me feel at home in the lab and was always available for any questions I had about my responsibilities, in addition to weekly meetings. She consistently made time for me. Karina took an interest in getting to know me as an individual and always listened carefully and compassionately when I bounced ideas around about possible post-graduate plans. Before my final presentation at the end of the internship, Karina spent several hours with me one-on-one working with SPSS and whittling down a lengthy introduction about counterfactual reasoning. Throughout the process, Karina was nonjudgmental, attentive, and thoughtful, encouraging me to work through errors independently while providing guidance when necessary. Working with Karina was one of the rare experiences I have had in academia where I felt comfortable to fail and make mistakes, and because of this, I felt less anxious and more motivated to work through problems. She is an enthusiastic teacher, and I have gained confidence in my abilities as a researcher and capabilities as a scholar because of her energy and support! Karina is as graceful in juggling her responsibilities as she is gracious to those around her. I cannot imagine my experience in the Infant and Child Cognition Lab being as positive and fulfilling without Karina Hamamouche as my mentor. Daisy Sears, Summer Intern 2018 Current Senior at Mount Holyoke College
Karina was one of the best mentors I had at Boston College. I worked with her for three years in the Boston College Infant and Child Cognition lab and did my senior thesis with her. She is an incredible teacher, striking the right balance between guidance and pushing me to figure things out on my own. Karina also cares deeply about her students outside of school work or psychology research. She helped me navigate psychology classes and provided advice on life after college. There are countless times I remember where Karina went above and beyond to help me. One particular moment was when I was analyzing the data for my thesis and I had a million questions. Karina took time out of her Saturday to speak with me on the phone and help me figure them out. She taught me how to think critically, pay attention to detail, and question what I see in front of me, whether it be data for my senior thesis or a paper I had to read for class. Karina also always validated my opinions and ideas. She never made me feel inferior and I knew I could always ask her a question about anything we were doing. She welcomed my input and used her own knowledge to make what I suggested better. I couldn't imagine my time at Boston College without her, she is incredibly knowledgeable, motivating, and kind. I was extremely proud to have her serve as a reference for me, helping me get my first job out of college. I am so grateful to have had her as a mentor. Carolyn Patterson, Senior Thesis Student 2017-2018 Marketing Associate at Gorton's Seafood
Karina Hamamouche has been a truly wonderful mentor to me. After spending time as a general Research Assistant and hearing of Karina’s work in Dr. Sara Cordes’ Infant and Child Cognition Lab, I decided to write my senior honors thesis with Karina. I was worried taking on the task having never gone through the experimental process myself, but Karina was there to support me through the confusion, excitement, and all the ups and downs along the way. Throughout the year of working on my thesis, Karina found a perfect balance between guiding me and pushing me to think and plan independently. She always welcomed and encouraged my feedback and talked me through anything she helped me with so I understood each step of the process. Although far more experienced than me, Karina treated me as an equal and made me feel completely comfortable to speak my mind and ask for help. While writing, she would help me edit however many times it took until we were both satisfied. Karina was also always willing to help me beyond my thesis. When I was not sure whether to take the GREs again, I turned to her for advice. While applying to graduate school she offered to read over my essays and resume. I was extremely fortunate to have her during my graduate school process. She was the only person I felt really understood my worries and always lent an ear when I was weighing the pros and cons of different programs. From writing my thesis with Karina and her mentorship, I have gained confidence in my ability to work on independent projects and further developed my critical thinking skills. I am certain I would not have felt nearly as prepared to start graduate school without her. I am very thankful to continue have Karina as a mentor throughout my further studies and life. Maura Keefe, Senior Honors Thesis Student 2016- 2017 Current M.A. student in Boston College’s School Counseling Psychology Program
I became a mentee of Karina Hamamouche during my senior year at Boston College, where I conducted an Honors Thesis for the Infant and Child Cognition Laboratory. I began my year-long research experience with a keen interest in the subject of Developmental Psychology and a readiness to learn, however, I lacked knowledge of many of the processes involved in creating and conducting my own study. Karina could not have been any more patient, attentive, energetic, and approachable throughout my introduction to the field of experimental psychology. From start to finish, Karina was there for me every step of the way, answering questions, helping me solve problems, and providing exceptional guidance. Despite having her own research to attend to, she always made it a priority to ensure that I was comfortable and that my work was the best that it could be. Karina’s passion for research was contagious, and she inspired me every day with her dedication and work ethic. In a large psychology department with many professors and students, I was lucky to have a mentor like Karina; someone to get to know me, take interest in my ideas, and truly go above and beyond to help make those ideas a reality. Jennifer Taylor, Senior Honors Thesis Student 2015-2016 Currently Mental Health Counselor at The Renfrew Center
Karina Hamamouche was my mentor for my senior year at Boston College. I cannot express how much she helped me with the process, sharing her experiences in grad school, and the time she dedicated to me through communication and establishing a relationship of guidance and mentorship. She helped me explore my options in the graduate school process and cultural events on campus that sparked my interest in investing in programs that offered more than what I had been exposed to in my undergraduate program. She was great at helping me establish a timeline for my applications and managing my senior thesis. With her help reviewing multiple drafts of my personal statement, her confidence in me when I attended graduate interviews, GRE advice and seeking out GRE prep programs on campus, I got accepted into four out of five of the programs I applied to. I got a chance to make a great decision on the program that best fit me and what I enjoy in life. Today I am in my second year Master’s program at Boston University. In May 2018, I hope to be a Master of education in counseling with a concentration in sport and performance psychology. It is with much respect and gratitude I give thanks for a mentor that cared about the process I was going through and the amount of resources I needed to get there. I am proud to say that her same ambition as a doctoral student has inspired me to be a part of a trauma and disability research team, work with youth development and counseling and much more over the course of the past year. Karina is by far a mentor I was honored to have and equipped me with tools I still use today. Brianna Cooley, Undergraduate Mentor 2015-2016 Currently M.Ed. Candidate at Boston University & Intern at Walden Behavioral Care
Karina with thesis student Maura Keefe as she presents her thesis at Psychology Undergraduate Research Day
Karina with thesis student Carolyn Patterson as she presents her thesis at Psychology Undergraduate Research Day