Exploring Human Behavior Through an Individualized Major

Focus Areas: Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Family Social Science, with a minor in integrative neuroscience

Sarai Montano has always been fascinated by how the brain works and how our experiences shape who we are, and she knew her psychology major wouldn't quite cover everything she wanted to explore. She wondered how she could combine more than one discipline without earning a dual degree.

She heard about the Inter-College Program from an advisor and decided to learn more. “To be completely honest, I just fell in love with the advisors,” Sarai says. “They were so nice, so caring. It just really made me want to be a part of CCAPS.”

Crafting a Personalized Degree Plan

The Inter-College Program allows you to create your own major by blending two or three areas of focus or one unifying theme. CCAPS advisors are your partners in this process, helping you choose classes that fit both U of M requirements and your own interests and career goals. Together, you map out your personalized curriculum and explain your vision in the ICP proposal course (ICP 3101W).

“It's a lot of self work, sitting down and reflecting on yourself,” Sarai says. “All of the assignments were about, what do you want to do and why? Immediately it made me ask, why do I want to do this? It was really therapeutic, in a way. Now I truly know what I want to do, why I want to do it, and what field I want to go into. It’s nice to have a full paper about it and be able to go back and look at it and know what my path is.”

Working closely with her advisor, Megan Seltz, Sarai created a program plan that discusses her background, how she chose her field of study, her academic and career goals, and a course rationale, which outlines the courses she wants to take, when, and why. This plan will then get reviewed by advisors in her chosen focus areas.

Sarai admits it was difficult choosing classes. “Which ones do I pick? Which ones at the end of the day are going to provide me with well-rounded information and knowledge to better serve the community? It was a lot of trial and error, looking at the classes and the professors.”

Mentorship and Guidance

To add another layer of support, Sarai is also a participant in the CCAPS Mentor Program, which connects current students with alumni who are industry leaders practicing in their field.

After completing a questionnaire about what area she was interested in and what type of mentor she was looking for, Sarai was paired with Alejandra Rodriguez, an MPS in Integrated Behavioral Health alumna. 

“It's been really interesting,” Sarai says. “She understands that I'm a college student, so if we don't have time to meet, that's completely okay. We talked about ways of de-stressing and not making things such a big problem when they don't need to be. She knows what I've gone through because she's been in my shoes. So it's been really nice to be able to ask her questions and learn more about the field.”

After she completes her Inter-College Program degree, Sarai wants to pursue a master’s degree, with the idea of potentially becoming a child life specialist. A child life specialist is a healthcare professional who supports children and their families through medical challenges, like illness or hospitalization.

“I don't really have an end goal,” she adds. “I'm not sure what I want to do. I just know that I love working with children and families and making them feel better.”

Finding School-Life Balance

“It's definitely stressful. I'm not gonna lie,” Sarai admits. “The way that I make it work is using a physical planner, Google Calendar, and just having sticky notes everywhere.”

Sarai adds that she keeps a short to-do list and makes sure she has time for self-care. "I'll put myself first. Let me eat, let me shower, let me have a good sleep, and then I can focus on that." She adds that it takes a lot of discipline to stay on track and not overbook yourself.

She manages to save some commuting time by living on the East Bank of campus. “I love being on campus because it's easier to do things. It's also easier to make a community because I don't really need to worry about needing to get home. So it's been nice being able to not have to get up super early to go to classes!”

Memorable Course

Intimate Relationships (FSOS 1101) with Tai Mendenhall

"Every time I sat in that class, I learned something new. (There was) a lot of new information that I not only will be able to use in my profession, but I can use in my personal life, because it was all about relationships. We learned about ways to proceed when you're in a relationship, not just in romantic relationships, but with your close friends, family, and stuff like that. Not only does he teach you about the bad things, but he teaches you how to improve. It was a whole roller coaster of emotions in that classroom, and I loved it."

Advice for Students

• Be intentional. "It's okay if you don't know what you want to major in, but be intentional about it when you put in the work. Your all is better than just doing it to do it."
• Don’t stress too much. "I feel like sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves. Yes, do well in school, but that's not equivalent to who you are as a person."

Sarai is a recipient of a Karin Larson Scholarship.