Bernard Gomes
Bernard Gomes
International Student's Perspective - Bernard Gomes (India)
Country
India
Major
Psychology, undergraduate
Minor
Neuroscience
- 3.796 cumulative GPA
- Academic Excellence Award from CUNY
- Internship at the South Beach Psychiatric Clinic
- Presented research at Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia (2018)
What brought you to Brooklyn College to study psychology?
What brought me to Brooklyn College is its academic reputation. I thought this would be a good place to experience different things. Brooklyn College offers so much. I definitely think that this is one of the most affordable campuses in New York City.
In what ways has Brooklyn College developed you as a person and assisted you on your career path?
I knew I wanted to do something in the psychology field, but I wasn't quite sure. After my first neuroscience class, Mind, Brain & Behavior, I decided I wanted to become either a neuropsychologist or a neuroscientist. I started contacting professors on campus for assistance. Andrew Delamater and Curtis Hardin were the two professors most instrumental in my development as a researcher. My first research project was on MAST and space memory. I was able to present my research at a conference this year in Philadelphia. Prior to this experience, I attended another conference in the medical field in San Francisco. This experience was fully funded by Brooklyn College. It was my first time being on the West Coast as an international student. I was able to intern at the South Beach Psychiatric Clinic as a student psychologist. The internship is usually given to graduate students, but I was given the opportunity as an undergraduate student. I interned at the clinic with different populations who have been exposed to trauma and other disorders. It was a very good learning experience for me. Without Brooklyn College, I wouldn't have the opportunity to take part in these experiences.
Do you have any advice for prospective international students who might be interested in applying to Brooklyn College?
My advice for students when they arrive to Brooklyn College is to get to know the people. Attend everything in their first year here because they never know who they will meet. I definitely got the chance to do that as a student. Getting involved is very enriching. Over the winter, I was able to go to Israel and Palestine to experience first-hand the social structure, the problems, the food, and different cultures. I am an inter-faith campus leader at Brooklyn College, so I do many events with the Newman Catholic Center. I was also a part of the American Medical Students Association and the literary magazine. At Brooklyn College I am able to keep a good balance of doing fun things, research, and my studies. Meeting with the International Student Club is great because you get to meet students from other countries, and it's always a good thing when they come together. There are other events where they can meet a lot of other students, like Movie Night on the Quad and club fairs.
What are your plans after graduation?
I will be graduating this year and I am expecting to receive honors in my research. Afterward, I will be pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience or neuropsychology with a focus on trauma and memory. I hold this topic very close to my heart, especially after going to Israel and Palestine. I was able to stand at the border of Syria, hear all the commotion a few feet away from me, and it was a very different experience—it was almost life-changing for me. I want my research to help children who are going through trauma, especially those who are trapped in war-ridden countries like Syria and Palestine.
