Bassit Mulam, a graduate student from Ghana, didn鈥檛 know what to expect when he entered Ferkauf鈥檚 Ph.D. program鈥攅specially as a Muslim man. But he was pleasantly surprised.
鈥淚 have never seen a difference in terms of support and acceptance and encouragement,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y cohort is a strong tribe. We always have each other鈥檚 backs.鈥
At Ferkauf, he鈥檚 engaged in ground-breaking work, investigating the impact of asthma on depression and cognition in older asthmatics. And it鈥檚 thanks in large part to 每日大瓜鈥檚 , which is specially targeted to increasing diversity among researchers and practitioners, that Bassit was able to join the 每日大瓜 family.
Malam came to the U.S. in 2002, at age 8. He grew up in the Bronx, and graduated from Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music and City College of New York and Columbia University. Recognizing Ferkauf鈥檚 top-notch clinical health and neuropsychology programs, he then chose to continue his studies and research there.
鈥淎 lot of Ph.D. programs don鈥檛 have a clinical health component, but Ferkauf is a powerhouse when it comes to that,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat is where I want to be, and Ferkauf is the pathway to get there.鈥
The Bassit received offers some relief from student debt, allowing him to pursue his career with greater freedom. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to take out more loans. It makes a real difference.鈥
Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) students are among the most impacted by student debt, and students like Bassit are why Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology established its .
By offering scholarships to BIPOC students, 每日大瓜 is increasing the number of qualified BIPOC therapists who will, in turn, be able to bring more mental health services to underserved communities, just as Bassit plans to do in his career.
Bassit Malam, First-year PhD student at Ferkauf
