Student Snapshot: Jada Witkowski ’24

Jada Witkowski

Jada Witkowski ’24 (psychology) has a passion for sustainability and for helping others. Below, she discusses her work with local business owners to help high school students in need, the sense of community she’s found, the research she plans to undertake after returning from a study-abroad semester and more.

Hometown:  

Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Major:

Psychology, with a minor in sociology.

Clubs and organizations:  

Delta Nu, Alpha Lamba Delta, Eco Reps and the D-Tones.

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Dean’s List and Delta Nu Service Award.

Favorite book:

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.

Favorite movie:

Tangled.

Favorite place on campus:

Morgan Field.

Favorite class:

Community Psychology. Even though I am deciding to focus on psychology, sustainability is still very important to me, so I was thrilled when the class focused on sustainable behavior and how to change behaviors to be more sustainable on a personal and systemic level. I loved diving into various sustainable actions, such as reducing water use, changing transportation modes, reducing GHG emissions, etc., and putting a psychological/cognitive-behavioral spin on it. We reviewed various psychological studies surrounding each environmental behavior and discussed further how to implement what we’ve learned from studies about everyday society.

Favorite Dining Hall food:

Tomato bisque and a grilled cheese.

Favorite professor:

Associate Professor of Psychology Sharon Kingston. She was my First-Year Seminar professor, and she also taught my Design of Psychological Research class. Between these two classes, she has made me feel more confident as a student and researcher. She’s always provided valuable feedback and has made time for me and other students to ensure our experiences at Dickinson were—and still are—everything they can be.

As I kid, I wanted to be …

… a chef.

About my research interests:

After returning to campus following my fall 2022 semester abroad, I plan to study the Influence of priming interdependence vs. independence on the likelihood of sustained pro-environmental behaviors. I decided to research this because the culture has a large influence over everyone’s lives. I hope to see how much of an influence the cultural dimension has on sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors. 

Post-Dickinson plans:

Ideally, I would intern and then work with Intellectually disabled adults or in health care. I hope to apply what I learn from my psychology experiences here to helping those in need. One thing that has always been clear to me is that there is never enough help for those in those two groups. During the pandemic, it was clear to me that I wanted to advocate for them to help ensure their lives are comfortable and are what they deserve. I hope to apply what I learn here to be there for them, however they may need me.

If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be …

My mother. I value and cherish the relationship I have with my mother. We have been close ever since my parents adopted me from Wuzhou, China. She’s the person I can be completely myself with, and I value the place and role she has in my life.

Best thing about my Dickinson experience so far:

The community. Through Delta Nu and the Eco Reps, I am beyond grateful for the experience of working with Mary and George, the owners of the local thrift store C-Luv Thrift, to help actualize their Jessica’s Closet project. Jessica’s Closet had a main event and pop-up events to provide local high-schoolers in need with free prom dresses/suits and accessories. It was inspired by Mary’s niece, Jessica, who passed away suddenly from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The Jessica’s Closet project spread awareness for SUDEP and also advocated for sustainability. After the pandemic, Mary donated a large portion of the dresses, and they finally found a home at Jessica’s Closet. There was nothing better than seeing the smiles on each of the girls’ faces when they found their prom dresses. I also loved the sense of community that formed between members of the college, Delta Nu and the Carlisle community through this project.

Read more Student Snapshots.

TAKE THE NEXT STEPS 

 

Published August 8, 2022