Savannah “Van” earned her BA in Psychology from Chatham University, minoring in both Social Services Administration and Creative Writing. Currently, she is enrolled at Carlow University and in the final semester of the Treatment Psychology Master’s program there, with the intention of returning to school for her PsyD in the fall. 

During her undergraduate schooling, Savannah spent time as part of a research cohort with the mission of improving campus academic accessibility, focusing on difficulties those holding diverse identities may face in their attempt to access the campus accessibility resources. She also spent time as an intern for a middle and elementary school therapeutic summer camp, providing students who experience a wide range of social-emotional needs with therapeutic groups as well as various skill-building activities. More recently, Savannah spent time as a Behavior Management Coordinator for a local charter school, providing one-on-one support to students and leading social-emotional learning lessons in different high-school and middle-school aged classrooms. In this position, Savannah was able to gain additional experience working with neurodiverse populations, strengthening her abilities in therapeutic settings. 

Savannah has spent extensive time with children of all ages both in and out of the school system, now working as an Early Childhood Educator in a school dedicated to the Reggio Emilio approach, which highlights the importance of child-led learning and the value of personalized care. Her time in each of these settings has worked to strengthen her resolve in providing patient-centered care as well as her passion for working with underserved populations.