Finding Greatness: Haley Troup

Author: News Bureau
Posted: Thursday, April 18, 2024 12:00 AM
Categories: School of Education and Behavioral Sciences | Pressroom | Finding Greatness

Macon, GA

Haley Troup at her MGA graduation,

Haley Troup, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Middle Georgia State, is now enrolled in Mercer University School of Medicine’s Master of Family Therapy program. She was named recently to a cohort of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Marriage and Family Therapy Scholars, which provides full tuition for those who have made a commitment to serve children of rural Georgia after completing their education.

Full Name:  Haley Michael Troup.

Age: 28.

Hometown & Residence: Forsyth.

Career Path: “I’m enrolled fulltime in Mercer University School of Medicine’s MFT Program (Master of Family Therapy). I’ll start interning at two sites and Mercer’s clinic soon, where I will work at Atrium’s Pediatric Development & Behavioral Health center, Mercer’s Marriage & Family Therapy clinic, and Primary Pediatrics to earn hours toward my licensure as a LMFT.” 

MGA Degree: Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Class of 2023. 

Academic and Professional Highlights: “During undergrad, I was awarded a scholarship through the MGA Foundation from the Anna M. Nemec Memorial. After that, I was given the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for a psychology 1101 class and received course credit for this. Being a TA was so humbling. I joined each class and even got the chance to teach my own lesson. It’s a special experience getting to sit on the other side of the desk, and it uncovered my passion for helping others. Following that, I was invited to be a supplemental Instructor for another psychology class. This position was basically a personalized tutor. I attended each class with the students and set up study sessions to help them throughout the course, while getting paid to do it. Since I’ve been at MUSM, I was named a Rural Family Therapy Scholar for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This opportunity pays my full tuition at Mercer Medicine on the condition that I live and work in a rural county for two years after I graduate. This gives me the chance to serve the underserved communities in Georgia where there is a severe need for mental health resources. On top of that, I get to train at Marcus Autism Center for a specialization in assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. This scholarship will send me soaring into my field as an MFT and help me network with others to eventually complete my end goal of opening my own practice in my small town of Forsyth, Georgia.” 

Describe how your Middle Georgia State experiences are benefiting you now in your career and personal life.

“Everything I learned in my four years at MGA has been beneficial to me, personally AND academically. The things I learned in psychology 1101 and every major-related class after that set me up for success in my career as a therapist. My graduate program has covered the same things in more depth, and it saved me some studying. I had the opportunity to write my first proposal paper for a research topic in research methods class, and two semesters later, I completed a research project and paper, start to finish, in experimental psychology. In grad school, I’ll take another research methods & ethics class that I’m sure will be a recap of what I learned in undergrad. MGA set an excellent foundation for my success in graduate studies. There are classes that I didn’t get the chance to take but wish I had stayed an extra semester to take them. The psychology courses, professors, and department as a whole were truly phenomenal. I would not have had the same experience anywhere else, and I’ll be forever grateful to MGA’s psychology department.” 

What advice do you have for students now studying at MGA? 

“Take every academic opportunity as a learning experience and dive right in. Use the many resources MGA has to offer and take full advantage of the nice facilities on campus! Apply for the scholarships that MGA offers - there are TONS of them! Reach out to your professors and advisors if you’re struggling, because they are there to help. And lastly, make the most of your education in undergrad. It’s an entirely different ballgame once you enter the working field or further your education in masters/doctoral programs.”