What she is doing

Planning, managing, and executing educational and therapeutic programs for students with autism and other developmental delays in a residential school at the New England Center for Children, near Boston. "I think the opportunity for daily, around-the-clock contact with children in a residential program will make it easier to improve their development."

The alumni connection

Associate Professor of Psychology Paula M. Millin connected Stokes to alumnus Bryan Anderson '08, a teacher at the UCLA Early Childhood Partial Hospitalization Center, where Anderson helped Stokes land a summer internship. "Having that experience on my resume really helped me get my job."

How a Kenyon education helped

Two classes epitomized her learning experience. "'Childhood Psychopathology' gave me a deeper understanding of autism, and 'Psychology in Context' enabled me to use that knowledge with children in Head Start programs throughout the area. I always had an interest in autism, but Kenyon convinced me to pursue it professionally."

Why Kenyon

"I didn't want to feel like a number. I wanted a personal connection with professors and hands-on experiences not available at larger schools. I played basketball, and my coach, Suzanne Helfant, was a big influence."