From Questions to a Career: One Psychology Student's Journey

By Julie Wrinn, Chief of Staff, College of Arts & Sciences

Curiosity is more than a personality trait: it’s the starting point of a meaningful arts and sciences education. For psychology major Jacinta Helm (BS May 2026), that curiosity centered on a simple question: Why do people think and behave the way they do? “I just love [studying] human behavior,” Helm said. “There's a reason why we think a certain way, why we do certain things in a certain order.” 

Helm began her academic career at UofL at age 19 as a first-generation college student who had become a young mother in high school. Those were difficult challenges to overcome, and she eventually left the university. Her academic career also included time at Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville and the University of Missouri in St. Louis, where she now resides. Helm returned to UofL in December 2024 with enough credits to finally graduate 18 months later.  

“I had been out of school for 10-plus years,” she said. “And so just to be back, I embraced every second, every minute, every class, everything. I just felt very privileged to be back in a place where I was 10 years ago and to able to complete my degree.” 

Returning to college was possible because of the flexibility of UofL’s nationally recognized online psychology program. Ranked seventh in the nation by US News and World Report, UofL’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers students like Helm something that many other online programs do not: courses taught by faculty who are actively conducting research in psychology.  

Such faculty are best equipped to nurture that curiosity in their students and model it themselves, imparting not only established knowledge, but also how new discoveries are made. This enables students to experience the habits of inquiry that define an arts and sciences education. For Helm, those professors encouraged the questions that first drew her to psychology. "With my professors, I am always asking questions," she said. 

As an older student studying online, Helm did feel out of place sometimes, but she credits her professors and classmates with making her feel welcome. The maturity she’d gained in the intervening years also made a difference. “I did have to grow up, so I'm thankful that my growth brought me to where I'm at now.” 

Helm’s UofL psychology degree helped make her a competitive applicant for Howard University’s Master’s in Social Work program. Beginning in fall 2026, she’ll continue her studies at its nationally recognized 16-month online program, preparing to become a licensed clinical social worker.  

Helm believes her own journey has prepared her to advocate for children, adolescents, and young adults facing difficult circumstances. Just as importantly, her perseverance has become an example for her teenage son. 

“I'm just really excited because my son—he's going to be 16 this year—he's able to experience and witness this in real time,” she said. "For him to say, 'I'm so proud of you, Mom,' that means a lot.” It's a reminder that an arts and sciences education doesn't simply prepare students for a career. It equips them to ask better questions, understand the world more deeply, and use that knowledge to improve the lives of others.