The Undergraduate Psychology Association (UPA) is one of the fastest-growing student organizations in the department. It is dedicated to expanding our students' knowledge of psychology, providing helpful community engagement, and building a network of peers in a fun and supportive environment.
Public Relations Chair Ashley Yang says she found out about the UPA through their Instagram page and decided to give it a shot. "When I attended, I was warmly welcomed by everyone—from the exec who greeted me to the people sitting nearby. The atmosphere was so positive and encouraging that I decided to go to another meeting, along with their grad school presentation and a card-making event for local children's homes. I appreciated how they balanced academic development with meaningful activities."
The UPA is quite active in a variety of ways to broaden your college experience. Academically, they provide guest speakers to discuss post-undergraduate pathways, internships, research, and other professional development opportunities. You can expand your social life with casual picnics, study sessions, tailgates, potlucks, and barn dances with other student organizations. Build upon community relationships with Cunningham Children's Home and DREAAM, and provide opportunities to give back through volunteering at fun events.
According to Ashley, getting involved with the UPA is easy, but there are some minor requirements to keep you engaged. "We try our best to make UPA a low-commitment organization because we understand that students are busy. That being said, though, we do still have 2 requirements in order to become an official UPA member. The reason for this is that UPA aims to provide the best experience for our members, but in order to do so, we need members to meet us in the middle in terms of effort. UPA membership requirements consist of meeting a fixed point threshold by the end of the semester and paying dues to help fund events and gain access to exclusive UPA resources. The goal of this point threshold is to incentivize members to come to more of the events we hold. We put a lot of thought and effort into these events, so we want people to show up! If members are able to attend even half of these events, they will have already met the point threshold." Students who want to take their involvement to the next level can apply to join a committee at the beginning of each semester, which includes the treasurer, secretary, volunteer, public relations, academic, social, and Menor/Mentee.
Learn more about the Undergraduate Psychological Association via their website, and be sure to follow them on Instagram and TikTok.