1. Undergraduate Studies
ePortfolio
Renee Sandusky
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology,
2011
1

2. Personal Statement
As I near the end of my undergraduate studies, I look
to the future and find myself closing the circle on a journey I
began many years ago in healthcare. I started my
academic studies in what some would say was a
disadvantage. I was uninspired and lacking motivation and
my grades drove me to drop out rather than repeat high
school all over again. After earning my GED I slowly began
taking college level courses and developed a deep love for
the sciences.
After the life-changing event of getting married and
starting a family, I put my education on hold, just several
credits shy of earning my associates in arts degree. After
the birth of my second son and the complications that came
with a near death experience, I was renewed in my desire
to learn and grow into new areas; however, access to
physical classrooms was much more limited to me now
than in the past. I decided on an online education, and
psychology as my major. I have always had an interest in
understanding why people do the things that they do and
discovered a great aptitude for psychological tests and
evaluations.

3. Personal Statement Continued
I have enjoyed learning and stretching my boundaries,
however after reflecting on my personal and professional goals to
be someone that makes a difference in the lives of others, I have
decided to return to my roots in healthcare.
I will be taking my BA in psychology and moving forward into
a master’s entry nursing program and hopefully one day, onto my
nurse practitioner degree. I can now leverage what I have learned
about human behavior, apply, and extend that knowledge into the
care I will offer to my patients. My goal of making a difference will
not just be the contributions I will make in the medical profession
but also personally by showing my sons the value and importance
of education. My personal and professional goals will be realized
so long as I remember that each minute is an opportunity to not
only learn and grow, but also to make a difference in the lives of
those around me.
Thank you!
Renee Sandusky

4. Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
2008 - 2011 Argosy University Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology
1991 College Of DuPage EMT-Basic
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1991-1992 Patient Care Technician, Share Alcohol and Drug Rehab Program
Responsibilities included new patient assessments, intake interviews, physical assessments, and
documenting the patient’s complete personal history as well as a thorough substance abuse history. Other
duties included taking and recording vital signs on all patients at regular intervals, as well as preparing group
therapy sessions and activities, conducting and documenting well-being and bed checks, and performing
breathalyzer tests on patients returning to the facility.
1992-1995 Emergency Medical Technician, LifeStat Ambulance Service
Provided direct patient care while delivering emergent and non-emergent transportation between various
locations. Additional responsibilities included documentation of all activities and maintenance of ambulance
supplies and inventory.

5. Curriculum Vitae Continued
1995-1995 Psychological-Social Assistant, Bloomingdale Pavilion
Responsibilities included direct patient care while working on the Psych/Social unit, which serviced residents
that had a variety of psychological disorders. Other duties were creating patient care plans, assisting with
daily activities, and other miscellaneous patient care issues.
1995-1997 Customer Service Representative, American Medical Response of Illinois
Duties included scheduling patients for Advocate Transportation (a non-emergency bus service), as well as
emergent and non-emergent requests for ambulance services.
1997-1998 Unit Secretary Pediatric & Medical Unit, Alexian Brothers Hospital
Primary responsibility: Maintaining an organized nursing station, which promoted efficient exchange of
information between all members of the medical staff. Additionally, answering and routing all inbound
communications, entering all chart orders and changes into the computer system for processing, maintaining
and updating all medical records, attending to the needs of the doctors while they are making their rounds,
answer and respond to the “Nurse call light”, as well as other administrative duties.
MEMBERSHIPS
2008-2011 American Psychological Association - Student Affiliate

6. Reflection
Getting an education via an online format is still in its infancy
stage. Technology is advancing and societies needs are changing so it
only makes sense that the educational system would also evolve with
these variances. That said, as often with new emerging avenues, there
have been many ups and downs on this road of my education. Argosy
University itself is many entities encompassing both campus-based and
online-based programs. Merging all of these programs has not been easy
and unfortunately, we the students have suffered. Often times my past
instructors were just as confused about the assignments and the
materials as the students were and I believe it is because there have
been so many changes so quickly to these programs and a severe
lacking of proof reading and/or quality control. Additionally there have
been many inconsistencies with regards to APA formatting and I know a
large part of this is due to the APA as they themselves are continually
shaping and defining how undergraduate work should be presented.
Because of these reasons, these past four years have been very difficult,
very frustrating, and very trying for me.
On the other hand, because of the many issues I have
experienced I have learned to be a better student, write a better paper,
and have learned to depend upon my own resources when learning a new
topic. The silver lining to the storm of my Argosy education is that due to
the difficulties experienced in each course, I have learned to be more
through, and have learned to take the initiative to teach myself the
material. I have enjoyed learning topics such as personality theories,
neuropsychology, the history of psychology and psychological
assessments. My weakness resides in my lack of hands on experience in
these fields and limited applied options.

7. Table of Contents
• Cognitive Abilities:
Critical Thinking and Information Literacy
• Research Skills
• Communication Skills
• Diversity Awareness
• Ethics
• Foundations of Psychology
• Applied Psychology
• Interpersonal Effectiveness

8. Critical Thinking
M7 Assignment 2
Renee Sandusky
Argosy University
PSY301 Children and Violence
Dr. Teresa Collins-Jones
February 24th, 2008
Analyze the development of gangs and determine what they offer their
members.
The gang environment is often glamorized with alleged excitement and
lavish anti-establishment lifestyles, which has been publically advertised in popular
media such as in music, movies, and video games however their information is often
false and usually misleading to the inexperienced, uneducated, and easily influenced
mind.
Gangs offer the illusion of obtaining status, money, and power (Argosy
University, 2009b) no matter what the cost. Being motivated by profit and power
(Department of Justice Canada) gangs are self-serving entities. Members feel a
sense of camaraderie with fellow members and often consider their gangs as a make
shift family when their own families may be lacking. In troubled homes and in difficult
locations such as ones with high poverty rates, many times fellow gang members are
the only constant that offers traditional elements such as love, loyalty, respect,
guidance and support (California Attorney General’s Office, 2008). Becoming
inducted into a gang offers many a sense of belonging and acceptance from peers
(California Attorney General’s Office , 2008).

9. Research Skills
Effects of Participation in Organized Sports on Standardized Test Scores
Renee L. Sandusky
Argosy University
Research Methods PSY302
Dr. Colleen Miron
October 18th, 2008
Question:
Do preadolescent children in organized sports
score higher on standardized tests then
children who are not involved in organized
Participants sports?
The sample (N=432) will be children selected in the following manor: 108 total boys and girls (54
from an urban elementary school and 54 from a rural elementary school) per each age range of 9, 10, 11, and
12 years old. These children will be randomly selected from Midwestern school districts.
Procedure
The participants will be administered a survey asking if they are currently enrolled in an organized
sports program. A primary researcher will be on scene to verify that parental informed consent has been
secured for each of the students before the start of the survey at which time information regarding participant’s
confidentiality will be addressed. Additionally, this researcher will be a licensed counselor who will be available
to address any and all concerns in the event the participants experience any emotional distress from this
study. Next the participants standardized ITBS scores will be crossed referenced from the school districts
database. This data will then be factored with the survey results. At the conclusion of the survey, all
participants will be debriefed as to the purpose of this study.

10. Communication Skills
My Opinion of the Psychoanalytic Approach
Personally, I have a strong background in science. I
understand and respect the power of statistical relevance. As they say,
“the proof is in the pudding” and I tend to pay more attention to
concepts that have the numbers to back their claims. I have been a
psychology student seemingly all my life and currently a student of
Argosy for the past two years. I can say without a doubt I have never
read or been taught that the psychodynamic process produced any M2 Assignment 3: Reaction paper
form of scientific proof. I have been taught from day one that this
therapy option is helpful under certain circumstances and that often Renee Sandusky
times it is incorporated with other primary techniques but overall this Argosy University
process has always been presented in a historical fashion and one that
is somewhat flaky or hokey when compared to the more testable PSY400 Counseling Theories
measures of other options such as CBT. I also believe that
psychoanalysis in general is excessively heavily associated with Freud
Dr. Andrew McKenzie
and his personal values and opinions. Often at times, I think this September 29th, 2010
process is viewed of as more of a joke especially when dealing with
issues such as dream analysis and interpretation and of course, the
sexual stages of children. Because these concepts still tend to shock
us to the core, we usually cannot get past the historical aspects to see
the bigger, more current picture that encompasses the psychodynamic
process. I have to say now though, after reading this article my
viewpoint on the statistical relevance of this process has dramatically
changed.

11. Diversity Awareness
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
M2 Assignment 2: Learning
Activity
Renee Sandusky
Argosy University
PSY312 Diversity
Dr. Danine Dean
March 14th, 2011
Racism, which is “a social construction based on sociopolitical attitudes that demean specific
racial characteristics,” (Robinson-Wood, 2009, p. 42) or more simply, the belief that one is superior
or inferior to another based on physical traits, has a long and convoluted past within the human
species. This concept can be traced all the way back to the historic teachings of Aristotle, and is
written about heavily within the passages of the Holy Bible. Sadly, however even after thousands
of years of documented human strife, pain, and suffering this topic still haunts us today.

12. Ethics
The notion of ethics, especially in the field of psychology, is
immense and as this course ends, I feel that we barely
scratched the surface of this vital and complex construct.
Counselors, their clients, and those associated with them are
multifaceted components all working together. These entities
of differing perspectives collectively join to form the basis of
M8 Assignment 2: Final the therapeutic relationship. Therefore, it is vital to the
Project success of this alliance for these differences to be taken into
account when determining what are ethical, moral, and
Renee Sandusky appropriate behaviors between the client and the professional
Argosy University counselor. This is where the ethical guidelines developed
PSY430 Ethics in over years of exhaustive review can help.
Psychology
Tanya Harrell
March 1st, 2011
Ethical Codes to Add
We live in a world that is moving beyond the standard use of pen and paper. Now more than ever
busy professionals utilize electronic devices when storing files, offering services, and conducting research.
While the ACA addresses some technology issues in section A.12.Technology Applications, their requirements
for full encryption are vague at best and this topic is only mentioned for applications over the internet and
information passed via email. If a counselor is in need of computer desktop or laptop repair, anyone accessing
his or her computer will be able to view all client information. However if full encryption of stored files is
required, IT professionals can have access only to files that are not encrypted. I believe this distinction is vital
as many professionals may be lacking technology expertise.

13. Foundations of Psychology
M2 Assignment 2: Final Project
“Know thyself,” according to Socrates implies knowing
who you are and adjusting your behaviors so that you Renee Sandusky
can become an ethical member of society (Argosy Argosy University
University, 2010). The moral decisions we make
throughout our lives, if completed in a virtuous fashion,
PSY450 History and Systems of
could lead us in achieving a good and honorable life. Psychology
Knowing ones faults can help in identifying areas that Dr. Andrew McKenzie
need attention and possibly correction. Essentially, he is July 21st, 2010
saying ignorance is bliss however if you want to lead a
good life you must become aware of your faults and
strive to overcome repeating them.
Why are we as humans so naturally narrow-minded and one-dimensional in our thinking? Plato’s
account of human nature offers one explanation. He claims we simply accept our reality to be true
solely based on our daily perceptions and information passed down to us from others. That said,
Plato saw human nature to be accepting of truths based on what others have deemed as so, never
seeking out the truth individually for ourselves. In his telling of The Allegory of the Cave, he
describes that there are two ways of seeing the world, one with eyes passed down generation-to-
generation, rich in tradition, filled with assumptions, and preconceived ideologies. The other view is
the rational one that throws away the hand me down eyes and seeks new perspectives, desires
more hands on knowledge than what has simply been assumed, and searches for truth and
meaning outside the limiting and constricting confines of our bodies. He felt human nature is to go
along with what we are told.

14. Applied Psychology
Comparing and Contrasting the MMPI and
the Rorschach Inkblot Technique
Renee Sandusky
Argosy University
PSY415 Psychological Assessment
Dr. Kimberly Swiss
December 6th, 2010
Testing today
There are many personality assessment tools in use today. Interestingly some of the
most common tests are also very opposite in nature from one another. Some tests offer a
projective assessment while on the other hand some offer an objective assessment. It is precisely
for this reason that these bipolar tests often result in heavily debated discussions across various
schools of thought. One of the most common projective assessments used today is the Rorschach
inkblots and one of the most common objective assessments used is the MMPI-2 (for a complete
comparison see table 1 on next slide)

15. Applied Psychology
Continued

16. Interpersonal Effectiveness
A sexual assault prevention program aimed at parents for the children in their community.
Renee Sandusky
Argosy University
PSY301 Children and Violence
Dr. Teresa Collins-Jones
January 27th, 2009
An effective program needs to educate and train three distinct groups of people, the child, the
parents, and the community. Initially the essentials of child sexual abuse need to be addressed.
Some important facts are:
Where? “Sexual abuse occurs in rural, urban and suburban areas and among all ethnic,
racial and socioeconomic groups,” (Flinn, 1995). Child sexual abuse does not discriminate. It is not
racial, nor does it care how much money you make. Based on the astonishingly high numbers,
child sexual abuse can happen right in your neighborhood.
Who are the victims? 1 in 3 girls (Argosy University, 2009a, para.1) and 1 in 6 boys
(Hopper, 2008) with the average age of onset of, “ 9.9 years for boys and 9.6 years for girls,” (Flinn,
1995).
Who are the offenders? Ninety percent of the perpetrators are someone the victim
knows; only 10% are strangers (Statistics Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse, 2008). “Abuse typically
occurs within a long-term, on-going relationship between the offender and victim, escalates over
time and lasts an average of four years,” (Flinn, 1995).

17. My Future in Learning
I love to learn. I love to research, hypothesize,
explore, discover, and uncover new information from all
around me. It is for these reasons that I have such a deep
love for all the sciences. The field of psychology is so vast
and I believe has more avenues than any other area. It is
also the most relevant field that I know of. Everyone,
everywhere, and from every corner of the world can
benefit from learning the foundations of this field. I
mistakenly thought that by studying psychological
concepts and theories for four years I would be burnt out
and/or bored however I found quite the opposite to be
true. With each new class, I discovered an entirely new
world of concepts, theories, ideas, and applications. With
each passing year, I have been able to personally relate to
and identify with many of the concepts explored. As I
continue in my academic career I look forward to studying
new areas of science by way of medicine, however I will
always keep with me a deep love and passion for the
Hopeful future
psychological world.
Student!

18. Contact Me
Thank you for viewing my
ePortfolio.
For further information, please
contact me at:
ReneeSandusky@gmail.com