Kaiden Pope
Reporter
Emily Grumish is a Parkland sophomore. She is a Psychology major, and is the president of the Alpha Psi Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Parkland College. Grumish is also the secretary for Club Access, a group that works to promote overall wellness among students.
“Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society for two-year colleges that provides leadership development and service opportunities for young scholars as well as recognizing and encouraging their scholarly achievements.” Grumish said.
Grumish grew up in Champaign. She attended St. Matthew Catholic School between kindergarten and eighth grade before she graduated from Central High School in 2016. At Central, Grumish was on the varsity cheerleading team.
“High school was definitely a transition time for me, but I got used to it. It was challenging to come from a religious atmosphere to where it was very open… Being on the cheerleading team helped me come out of my shell. I learned team building skills which helped me to become a little more outgoing.” Grumish said.
In high school, Grumish took a few medical dual credit courses to prepare for college. In summer 2017, Grumish was employed as a medical assistant at Carle Foundation Hospital through their student temporary employment program.
Grumish is active in volunteering, in addition to her work with Phi Theta Kappa and Club Access. She has volunteered at several cancer awareness events, the Salvation Army, the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon, and the Wesley Food Pantry.
On Nov. 3, 2017, Grumish became the president of the Alpha Psi Eta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society the same night that she was inducted as a member.
“I was searching for a school organization that would benefit not only my school, but also the larger community around me. I felt extremely honored when I received an invitation to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and later become president.” Grumish said.
As the president of Phi Theta Kappa, Grumish is involved in many events around campus.
Grumish explained how every year Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is involved in a new Honors in Action Project.
This year, Grumish’s chapter chose information literacy through the theme of “Myth and Reality.” Grumish helped bring together panelists for a one-hour public panel including Parkland teachers in journalism, political science, and marketing, as well as a Parkland librarian.
Grumish was a nominee for the Phi Theta Kappa All-USA Academic Team and was a Parkland award winner for the All-Illinois Academic Team.
Grumish is involved with Club Access as well as with Phi Theta Kappa. Club Access is a Parkland student organization dedicated to helping students gain access to the right resources and education about mental wellness, and other topics of interest such as suicide prevention, drug use, and sexual assault awareness. The main goal of Club Access is to help students receive the support they need to be successful in the classroom, as well as in their personal life.
“I feel like one of the main reasons I became involved with Club Access is because of my social anxiety. The expectations are higher in college and your anxiety can get the best of you. Club Access has helped me develop better strategies to handle stress.” Grumish said.
In the fall of 2017, Club Access brought together professionals from Carle and Rosecrance, a behavioral health non-profit, as well as Parkland teachers for a depression screening. Students could come in to the counseling office, watch a video on depression, and participate in a discussion. Club Access also held an anxiety screening and an alcohol abuse screening in March 2018.
Grumish wants to finish college, and then decide what opportunities are available. She sees herself with a Ph.D in Developmental Psychology, and pursuing a career in the medical field.
“I like to stay open to new opportunities, and with the field of psychology, there are so many things you could do. I used to think that I wanted to work with children, but now I’m really into forensic psychology.” Grumish said. “I want to explore a lot of different fields of psychology and then decide where to go from there.”