University News

Just Hired: Christina Dispensa

October 31, 2024

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Just Hired! Through the experiences of local, regional, national and international students, Western Illinois University has some incredible alumni who are changing the world in the workforce. This series will feature students from all over the world who are hired post-graduation.

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - - Meet Christina Dispensa, a graduate student of Psychology, who was recently hired as a specialist in School Psychology at the Ogle County Education Cooperative (OCEC).

"The OCEC provides services for a majority of Ogle County. Some of the specialists we provide are School Psychologists, Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Social Workers, Vision Itinerants, Hearing Itinerants, Special Education Teachers and Vocational Trainers," Dispensa said.

Dispensa feels her experience was unconventional compared to others.

"As a sophomore during my undergraduate, I decided I was interested in the field of school psychology," Dispensa said. "So I reached out to my previous high school and asked to shadow their school psychologist. I fell in love with the field that day. Shortly after my job shadowing experience the director of the OCEC reached out to me to describe a new program they were doing.

The OCEC was offering to pay for school psychologist's graduate school training, in return you would be contracted to work for them after. I was honored to be offered this amazing opportunity. After reading more about what the OCEC was I felt it was a great fit for me. During my third year of graduate school, I was able to be a school psychology intern with them. This set me up perfectly to be a successful and competent school psychologist for them. I felt that I truly thrived in this environment and started working this year as a full time school psychologist," Dispensa said.

Dispensa feels she has learned so much from WIU professors, but also her classmates.

"Most importantly I learned to always ask questions. I feel that my training truly prepared me for the internship. I was able to go in confident and spread my wings during the internship. I still work with my supervisor, and she reports missing having me to talk out cases with. Not only did I learn from her, she also learned from me," Dispensa said.

Posted By: Lexi Dittmar (aj-dittmar@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing