We spoke with Alisa Yamamoto ’26, a double major in Psychology and Asian and Pacific Studies, about her LMU experience and her involvement with Career and Professional Development (CPD), including why she highly recommends our course, Strategy of Career Development. Here’s what she shared:
What are some of your favorite things to do at LMU?
I like going to Wellness Wednesdays and just laying out in Sunken Garden.
Are you involved with any clubs or orgs? If so, how have they impacted your college experience?
I’m really involved in the API clubs. I found all my best friends and roommates through these clubs during my first-year. I’ve stayed involved for the past three years.
[I also did] ARTSmart, where we would visit a nearby elementary school to teach art to young students. And that was a fond memory of mine. I also did “Share a Meal” on campus, where we handed out meals to homeless people on Venice Beach.
I also was involved in the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority for a year. Though I’m no longer involved, I enjoyed my time with the sorority.
Do you have fond memories of any classes or professors?
Dr. Park. He was in the ASPA department in BCLA. I took a Food in Asia class with him. It was super fun. We went on field trips to the grocery market with our classmates and did food tastings in class, which was memorable. It was hands-on, and Dr. Park is so passionate about everything he teaches. I keep in contact with him still.
Does LMU’s location in Los Angeles impact your college experience?
I think experientially, you can apply anything you’ve learned [in class] within Los Angeles. It is the place to be in terms of opportunities. There’s just always something to do [here], which I enjoy.
Did you utilize any services, programs, or courses in Career and Professional Development? Can you talk about ways it shaped your career development?
I took Marcy Hess’ Strategy of Career Development class last semester, where she provided me with resources that CPD has to offer students and alumni.
Her LinkedIn knowledge was just so crazy. Like she would tell us all these little hacks to get your profile to have more engagement, like linking your other social media onto your profile or even just looking up companies that you’re interested in and seeing if any LMU alumni work there. I had no idea that you could do that before. I also had no idea that you could take professional headshots [at CPD] for free, too, which I wish I had known as a first-year or sophomore. But knowing that I still have access to it [and other CPD resources], even post-grad, is really comforting.
In the future, I want to keep in contact with Professor Hess, and, as I said, use the professional headshot booth, and also the alumni network, which she talked about a lot in class. I [also] didn’t know that the Career and Professional Development Office hosts so many events throughout the year. So, I would like to attend those before I graduate.
Did you participate in any internships while at LMU?
I didn’t do psychology-related internships, which I kind of regret, but I’m planning to apply to a master’s program, so I hope to gain more experience then within the field.
I held one internship at Edwards Life Sciences in Irvine, but it was a lot more focused on STEM-related work. And with my psychology degree, I’m planning to go into occupational therapy. I mean, I still think a lot of STEM stuff comes in handy with psychology.
What are you currently doing for work? What is the name of your employer? What do you love about your work?
I work on campus for my work study program. I’m a department assistant for the Asian and Pacific Studies Department. I love the one-on-one connections I get with my boss and professors. I think the opportunities I have received by stepping out of my comfort zone have helped me a lot and will continue to help me in the future.
What are your long-term career aspirations, and do you think LMU prepared you for success?
I’m planning to go into occupational therapy postgrad. LMU helped me decide on [this career path]. Coming into LMU, all I knew was that I was more interested in social psychology. But, through my classes, I discovered what occupational therapy was and realized that it is more my goal for a career.
As a soon-to-be recent grad, have you sought support from LMU’s Alumni and Family Engagement Office?
I haven’t attended any of the alumni events yet, but after taking this career class, I do know how to register for them and I see their value. And through the on-campus API clubs that I’m involved in, I am in touch with a lot of alumni. I sometimes catch up with them and see what they’re up to. Even if they’re not in the career that I’m pursuing, it’s nice and reassuring to hear that postgrad life isn’t that scary, and everyone eventually finds their path.
[For example], my closest friend, is in dental school right now, so completely different from what I’m going into, but I was just telling her about all my anxious thoughts about postgrad life, and she just reassured me that she found new friends in dental school and moved to a different state. So, she had no one in the beginning, but she reassured me that everything does work out.
In what ways do you think LMU changed you?
LMU helped me become more outgoing and take on challenges. During my first-year, I was always cooped up in my dorm and didn’t go out. I was so shy. Now, in my senior year, doing interviews like this, I would have never been able to do that. I think LMU being a smaller university helped me a lot in terms of making connections with professors and making it easier for me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, compared to a big state school. I would have just been seen as a number. That would be a nightmare for me.
What advice do you have for incoming students at LMU?
Say yes to everything. You should take on opportunities and step out of your comfort zone, because you never know where that will take you.
Strategy of Career Development is offered in both fall and spring and is open to all students. This two-unit, credit/no credit course has helped many students gain clarity, confidence, and meaningful connections as they navigate their academic and professional journeys. For more information about this course, contact careers@lmu.edu.
