Honing a Passion for Work in Health Psychology

Sydney Voelbel ’22 decided to go to graduate school for medical social work after a process of discovery that began at Washington College and continued through the research job she got right after graduation. Along the way, she has experienced a blend of academic rigor, personal growth, and professional discovery—each step leading her closer to a fulfilling career in health psychology and pediatric care.

Like many students, Voelbel entered college with an idea of what she wanted to do, only to find her direction shifting as new interests and opportunities arose. Initially drawn to child development, she discovered during her time at Washington College that her true passion lay in health psychology and majored in psychology with a clinical counseling concentration.

It was the hands-on research in the psychology department’s electroencephalogram (EEG) lab, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Audrey Weil, that opened Voelbel’s eyes to the intersection of mental health and physical well-being. She spent countless hours working on studies related to working memory, decision-making, and the risk factors surrounding COVID-19, which eventually led to her presenting findings at the Eastern Psychological Association conference in New York.

By the time she graduated, Voelbel had not only developed a strong academic foundation, but had also built lasting relationships with her professors—mentors who would continue to shape her career long after she left Washington’s campus. Both Weil and Tia Murphy, Voelbel’s advisor, were instrumental in helping her figure out where her true interests lay. They encouraged her to pursue research and hands-on learning, which in turn opened doors to her post-college opportunities.
After graduation, Voelbel landed her first job at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey at Rutgers University, a role that she calls her “dream first job.” Although it wasn’t full-time, it was pivotal in cementing her desire to work in health psychology, particularly at the intersection of mental and physical health outcomes.

“I originally wanted to go into health psychology and pursue my PhD, which is why I became a research assistant at Rutgers, but while working on these research studies, I realized I loved talking to the patients more than the actual study,” Voelbel said. “That's why I decided to go to Smith for my master’s degree.”

After a year working at Rutgers, Voelbel started at Smith College School for Social Work but kept working on the cancer research remotely for another 15 months while in graduate school. Her graduate studies at Smith continued to influence her professional trajectory, guiding her toward an internship at Baystate Health in pediatric palliative care. (In Smith’s unique program, students complete coursework over the summer and work internships during the academic year.)

Voelbel’s academic experiences at Washington and at Smith, as well as the two jobs with Rutgers and Baystate Health, all deepened her commitment to medical social work, and she believes she is exactly where she needs to be.

“My internship with Baystate Health Pediatric Palliative Care has reinforced my passion for palliative care work and the love I have for working with children and families,” Voelbel said.

Looking back, Voelbel credits much of her success to the relationships she formed at Washington College. She immersed herself in campus life, working with the Student Affairs office and serving in the peer mentor program, one year as a mentor and then two more years as a peer mentor leader. Her involvement in Alpha Omicron Pi, as vice president of chapter development and secretary, provided valuable lessons in leadership, personal growth, and skills that would serve her well beyond her college years. Even now, she reflects on the sorority experience as something that taught her more than she expected about relationships and navigating the complexities of teamwork.

Her friendships, especially, have proven to be lifelong. Now, she lives with two people she met in college—one of them her partner, the other her best friend—in a small house in Northampton, Massachusetts. These friendships, formed in the small town of Chestertown, Maryland, have followed her across state lines and continue to enrich her life.