Widener doctoral candidate creates social program with scholarship
WIDENER » Kat Kovacs, a doctoral student in the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener University, is the recipient of the Neubauer Family Scholarship for 2017. As part of the scholarship, she will create a program in Chester, Pennsylvania to help victims of sexual violence.
“I’m hoping to reach these survivors and give them a sense of empowerment and a community where they belong,” Kovacs said. “It will be a place where they can talk about hard things freely and build up their physical strength and their wellbeing.”
The Neubauer scholarship is awarded annually to one exceptional and highly motivated incoming doctoral student of the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener who wishes to enhance his or her academic experience through applied psychology by implementing a long-term, communitybased project.
Kovacs of Owasso, Okla., completed her undergraduate studies in psychology and sociology at the University of Denver. While there, she was part of the Social Justice and Creativity and Entrepreneurship Living and Learning Communities and participated in many research labs at University of Denver and Colorado University Anschutz Medical School.
After graduating, she spent time studying music business at New York University, before transferring to Widener this year.
“Widener’s emphasis on community work and social justice really inspired me — so I knew Widener would be the right choice,” she said.
Kovacs is honored to receive the scholarship and to know that the university believes in her. Her project is still in the planning phase, but she envisions an afterschool program for young adults who have been victims of violence.
“In addition to empowering these survivors, I hope to raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual violence against people of all ages, gender identities, and races,” Kovacs said. “I look forward to meeting and getting to know the Chester community at a personal level in order to establish a meaningful and sustainable program that will benefit all members of the city.”