Meet our 2023 Lora Dolores Antoniette Pallotta Memorial Graduate Scholarship recipient, Shawna Grossman!

A huge congratulations goes out to Shawna Grossman, on being named our 2023 Lora Dolores Antoniette Pallotta Memorial Graduate Scholarship recipient!

In 2010, the Pallotta family established a graduate scholarship for an outstanding student in the department of Applied Psychology and Human Development (APHD) in memory of their daughter Lora Dolores Pallotta, who was a graduate student in the Department. The Lora Dolores Antoniette Pallotta Memorial Graduate Scholarship is awarded annually, to a graduate student in APHD based on financial need, academic merit and their thesis research being related to “the immigrant experience”.

We sat down with Shawna who is a third year doctoral student in the School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) program to learn more about her graduate school journey, her current research and future goals. 

Shawna completed her undergraduate studies in Honours Psychology from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. She then came to OISE and pursued her Master's degree in the SCCP program.

"My journey towards pursuing graduate studies in the SCCP program was influenced by my passion for working with children and youth, coupled with my desire to make psychological services more accessible to those who may not traditionally have such support", says Shawna.

Her past degrees equipped her with a foundation to delve into the complexities of mental health, and it became evident that there is a crucial need to extend psychological services to children and families within community-based systems.

"I am so extremely grateful to have won the Lora Dolores Antoniette Pallotta Memorial Graduate Scholarship. Beyond the financial support, this award serves as a powerful acknowledgment of my commitment to researching and addressing the impact of Anti-Black racism on Black Canadian children and youth and fuels my determination to contribute meaningful insights to the field", says Shawna.

The award has provided Shawna the opportunity to focus on her research and extend her efforts towards supporting those navigating systemic challenges.

Tell us a bit more about your research?

Across my graduate training, I have been passionate about conducting research surrounding the experiences of children and youth from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. My master’s thesis focused on studying literacy development patterns among immigrant and non-native English-speaking elementary school students in Canada. Building on this research, my doctoral research addresses race-related stress and trauma among Black children and youth in Canada. It involves a systematic review of anti-Black racism and its impact on traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, in partnership with the Durham Region Women’s Multicultural Centre, I am conducting interviews with Black Canadian youth in an effort to capture the lived experiences and narratives regarding encounters with racial stress, trauma, and mental health supports.

What's next for you?

After completing my degree, I aspire to work as a psychologist within a community mental health setting. I hope to contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions that address racial trauma and promote mental well-being, particularly for children and youth from marginalized backgrounds. Whether in academia, community organizations, or clinical practice, my ultimate goal is to support the holistic health and wellbeing of children and youth from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, by providing a safe and inclusive environment for all.