Christopher Willis 

Capstone Essay Draft 

3/2/2026 

When thinking back to my whole education, I think about my future self. The discussion I would have and discuss with him. What would I want and expect. Why did I work so hard to get through these years? Why did I achieve this degree? More often than not, I think of my parents and the experiences I gained through my years of studying. I think about what my parents missed out on. Their biggest challenges and their “wall” from achieving their dreams. 

I believe that college is a key portion of life. The education being of the highest worth. When discussing Psychology, I find myself reminiscing about my time in my industrial organizational psych class. Being my third year in college, this class represented a very enjoyable time of learning. I got to experience, learn and apply new ideas. Also learn of realms outside of mainstream Psychology. Through this class we learned what it takes to apricate and experiment on a business. Learning how we can learn numbers and quiz applicants/employees. In order to learn and discuss a bigger picture of the company. This bigger picture being employee enjoyment and correlation to employee efficiency. We did this through analyzing student group members' jobs. In my group's case, studying a funeral service company Service Cooperations International (SCI). Through public information given on the company's website, my group was able to collect information on the company's appraisal system, hourly wage dependent on position, working compensations, outside services provided to employees. With these factors, I found myself enjoying working together to reach a goal, all group mates were enthusiastic about the research and the goal. The goal being finding a way in which we could better employee happiness in order to increase employee work. Working with this team made me want to work the hardest. I showed me that when I work with people who are equally as passionate as me, I cannot be stopped. This showed me that my work is more meaningful when the people surrounding me are just as passionate as me. Through this, we were able to come to conclusions and base it in fact from the company itself. The first thing in which we discussed surrounded the idea of mental health benefits. Through our groupmate's experiences, we were able to get an idea of the mindsets that workers carry. Although the company does the upmost for the client, the employees are not as taken into consideration. The mental strain of dealing with grieving clients as well as dealing with people whom have passed away leaves a great deal of mental strain whether connected to the person or not. Leading us believe that these benefits would be crucial for employees to continue working in this company. We also found reason that this would also decrease the high turnover rates that this company faces. Ultimately, this became a passion project for me. My groupmates and I learned so much through the efforts that we put in. We took away a lot more from the class than we had felt from others all due to this project and our team and this makes me wonder about my future. Does the work I am doing still provide me with the same passion? Do I work with people that push me to go further? Ultimately, I wish to continue to find passion in learning and application. Afterall, whether we know it or not we learn something new every day. 

In my time studying through my critical psych classes, I think back to my class focused on the criticism of the current model of modern-day Psychology. The primary focus being the DSM-5TR. Living with a family that has grown up and not until later realized the mental struggles that they’ve faced and had to deal with. Can be difficult for most. myself, being the one of the youngest in my family, I can back this. Yet, through this class, I was able to discuss my thoughts on the current takes of diagnosis and descriptions pushed by the DSM and the American Psychological Association (APA). For a portion of me, this was my time to discuss my thoughts and opinions on the diagnostic manual. How can it destroy and or change someone's life in an instant. The power that this manual and diagnosis hold is only put there because of the DSM. Through this class, I came to the realization of the power that this manual holds. Not only in America but also to the rest of the world. Pushing me to think of others. The different cultures. Different genders. Pushing me to relate back to my feminist studies and Latino studies classes. 

I found the reflection to relate deeply to the content I was creating and learning. Mostly due to how my group and I found that the main reason that DSM fails is much like our society. It neglects to include anything outside of the white male perspective. Much to the same as when I would study the impact of the US influence on Latin American countries, The diagnosis in lesser developed nation affects people much greater than the people realize. This is becoming a point of which is non-ignorable. Putting hinderances on people’s lives due to being diagnosed with certain disorders. Reminding me of how we consider the same idea surrounding race and gender. Understanding this allowed me to move through my project in my psych class with more passion. Driving myself to inspire my group to do more. Working with them and helping them interpret more information, we were able to show through our work why we believe the DSM is partially ineffective towards its goal. We discussed how the manual primarily ignores the consideration of cross-cultural influences. This is shown through our work, discussing how the writing in the book is to be followed exactly or to the closes relating diagnosis. This conflicts with other cultural beliefs. Due to the variance in cultures, certain expectations of cultures are considered a symptom of certain disorders. Ultimately playing as a double-edged sword. This is shown through its benefit in certain cultures and its lacking in others. Why is this important to my future though? For me, I seek to make an impact in the considerations of our future DSM’s. Not for myself but for my family, my friends, the kids that are yet to be. For the people of the future who know nothing of this work yet. I want to work for them. Their futures and give them hope for the people who look after them, so they may look to surpass myself later on.