Inspiring Graduate: Jeena Kim (’25)
- Hometown: Schaumburg, Illinois
- Degree: B.S. Psychology
- Focus: Cognitive Neuroscience
Jeena Kim chose UW-Stout because of its strong hands-on, polytechnic approach to psychology. She transferred from a community college because she wanted to complete her degree at a university with real research opportunities and applied lab experiences.
“Stout was exactly what I was looking for,” she said.
Kim is a full-time certified nursing assistant in a memory care nursing home. Her time working there during her undergraduate studies showed her “how trauma, behavior and communication needs affect a resident’s daily life,” she said.
Kim earned her B.S. in psychology and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20 as one of 527 UW-Stout graduates. She plans to return to Chicago and pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience.
“I want to continue studying how the brain works, especially in connection to aging and dementia. My goal is to bridge the gap between psychological research and practical care. I hope to contribute to research-informed practices that improve quality of life for older adults with dementia, as well as support families and caregivers,” Kim said.
How has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field?
UW-Stout prepared me through research labs and applied neuroscience courses. Some highlights for me include:
- Research Practicum: I worked on a project examining face recognition, confidence-accuracy calibration and the “Clark Kent effect.” I also learned E-Prime and Jamovi research tools, data analysis, and scientific writing.
- Perception and Cognitive Neuroscience labs: I gained hands-on experience with the “rubber hand illusion,” selective attention tasks and EDA and ECG (electrodermal activity and electrocardiography) psychophysiology systems.
- My memory care internship: At Our House Senior Living, I cared for residents with dementia, practiced de-escalation and communication strategies, and supported families during difficult moments. This experience shaped my professional goals.
What stands out about your UW-Stout experience?
The professors made the biggest impact on me. Dr. Desiree Budd, Dr. Mike Mensink, and Dr. Sarah Wood guided me, challenged me and helped me think like a researcher. I especially want to shout out Dr. Budd, who was my mentor and always supported me and my research.
I also loved the collaborative lab environment — everyone was curious, supportive and passionate.
How did your involvement on campus impact your experience?
I served as a teaching assistant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, where I supported group research teams and helped students with data collection and lab procedures. This experience strengthened my leadership, communication and organizational skills.
I also worked full-time as a certified nursing assistant, which shaped my academic interests and helped me understand human behavior and memory in real-world settings.
What challenges did you face in earning your degree, and how did you overcome them?
Balancing full-time work with full-time classes was one of my biggest challenges. I often worked overnight shifts in memory care while managing research projects, exams and papers.
I overcame this by developing strong time-management skills, relying on supportive professors and reminding myself why I chose this field. The challenge helped me grow stronger and more disciplined.
What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?
I’m proud of how much I’ve grown — academically, professionally and personally. I’m proud of completing rigorous research projects, supporting residents and families in memory care, and becoming confident in my future path. Most of all, I’m proud that I kept going, even during the hardest times.
Without this experience, I wouldn’t have grown into the person I am today. I’ve learned that today is the youngest day of my life, and it’s a chance to do my best, take risks and build a future I won’t regret.
