CWU School Psychology alumni enjoy giving back to area school districts

The School Psychology Educational Specialist (Ed.S) degree program at Central Washington University takes great pride in training future professionals to fill a growing need in the state’s K-12 education system.

As the demand for mental health services increases in public schools in Washington and across the country, there continues to be a shortage of school psychologists — specifically for those who speak both English and Spanish. Some CWU program graduates end up taking positions out of state, but as Director Heath Marrs explains, the majority of these newly trained school psychologists remain close to home.

“Bilingual school psychologists are in extremely high demand across the country, and our graduates could go anywhere they choose,” he said. “But we have been seeing a lot of them returning to their hometowns as a way of giving back.”

One contributing factor to this trend is that a growing number of students enrolled in the program hail from Central Washington. Six of the 14 first-year students enrolled in the 2024-25 first-year cohort started their educations at Yakima Valley College (YVC) before completing their bachelor’s degrees at Central, while four of the 12 second-year students are currently completing their practicums in the Yakima Valley.

“Part of our mission as a university is to build up the workforce in our local communities, and I think our program has been doing a really good job of that,” Marrs said, adding that the Ed.S program is a three-year post-graduate degree, requiring 107 credits. “It’s become our niche, especially in the school psychology field.”

One recent program graduate began pursuing his college education at YVC before transferring to CWU, where he went on to earn a BS in psychology and an Ed.S degree in school psychology. Juan Serrano (’22, ’24) realized early on that he could make a difference by returning home to Yakima after graduation.

“When I was growing up, I saw that there wasn’t much community support for people like me,” said Serrano, whose family moved from California to Yakima when he was 5 years old. “I wanted to fill that need, and that’s why I decided to pursue a college degree. Now that I work in this community, I can see how much my help is needed. Few people are able to communicate with these families the way I can, and that has made my job very rewarding.”

Another Yakima native, Jasmin Moreno (’18, ’21), spent her first year after graduation working in the Yakima School District and was hired by the Toppenish School District in 2022. Like Serrano, she has enjoyed giving back to a segment of the population that is often overlooked in the state’s education system.

“One thing I really appreciate about my job is that I get to advocate for students and bring people together to help them,” said Moreno, who also completed her internship in Toppenish in 2021. “This community is predominantly Latinx, and we run into a lot of language barriers. Since I am bilingual, I can be the middle man for the schools and the families so we can create better relationships.”

Likewise, Maritza Lazcano (’18, ’22) has appreciated the relationships she has developed with her colleagues and the students at Union Gap School, located a few miles south of Yakima. As the lone school psychologist, she has learned a great deal on the job since joining the small K-8 district in the fall of 2023. But, in some ways, that independence has helped her grow into her role and become even more effective.

“I still feel like I’m learning a lot, but I have really enjoyed it here,” Lazcano said. “It can be difficult to navigate sometimes since I’m the only psychologist in the district. I’m also younger than a lot of the teachers, so I don’t always know who to ask for help. But everyone here has been so supportive, and I feel like I’m starting to make a difference with the kids.”

Another recent CWU graduate, Kylie Melton (’20, ’23), works as a school psychologist for the Yakima School District, connecting students with resources designed to help them develop socially and academically.

She credited the administration at Lewis and Clark Middle School for their undying commitment to their students’ well-being and development.

“We try to look at every child as a whole child,” Melton said. “Kids walk into this building with so many different life experiences, and the time we spend with them is relatively brief in the context of their whole school experience. As school psychologists, we try to develop plans that identify their strengths, as well as areas for them to work on, so they can receive the right special education resources. This approach helps ensure all students have the best possible outcomes.”

Each of the aforementioned CWU School Psychology alumni has a unique story to tell. Read on to learn more about their journeys.

Jasmin Moreno

The 2014 graduate of A.C. Davis High School in Yakima was originally interested in a career in the medical field, leading her to spend her first two years of college taking pre-med courses.

As she began thinking about changing directions, she enrolled in a Psychology 200 class with Professor Heath Marrs, and that experience ended up altering her entire perspective.

“Dr. Marrs highlighted the many benefits of school psychology, emphasizing how it supports students academically, behaviorally, and socially,” Moreno said. “It was reassuring to learn that there’s a high demand for school psychologists, meaning you can find a job almost anywhere. What I really appreciated, though, is the opportunity to work directly with kids and play a role in improving their education.” 

After completing her BS in psychology in 2018, Moreno enrolled in the School Psychology Ed.S program. Although she and her classmates were forced to contend with the pandemic, she feels like she emerged from CWU as a well-rounded professional.

“Our professors did a really good job at teaching us to collaborate and communicate with one another,” she said. “They also pushed us to get to know each other, which really helped. We weren’t very close at first, but over time, we came to rely on each other a lot.”

Moreno landed an internship with the Toppenish School District in 2021 and then took her first job with the Yakima School District during the 2021-22 school year. Her fledgling career came full circle the next year when she returned to Toppenish, where she has been for the past three years as one of the district’s five school psychologists.

“Each school district has its own approach to the role of a school psychologist, and I wanted the flexibility to explore and develop additional professional skills,” Moreno said. “I also wanted more direct interaction with students beyond academic testing. That’s why I chose to return to Toppenish, where I’m able to use a broader range of my abilities.”

Moreno works with three to five students each week — four days at Kirkwood Elementary and one day at Garfield Elementary — conducting cognitive and academic assessments, social and adaptive assessments, creating behavioral plans, and collaborating with teachers and families to ensure successful implementation. 

She said that while every student is different, her work invariably has a positive impact on young lives in the community.

“For the plan to be effective, it’s essential to have support from both teachers and parents,” Moreno said. “I’m just one piece of the puzzle, but when we all come together, we can truly make a difference.” 

Juan Serrano

The son of migrant farm workers knew from a young age what he wanted to do. Growing up in Yakima, Serrano was exposed to the benefits of behavioral therapy in elementary and middle school, and many of the lessons he learned eventually shaped his career path.

“I met a therapist who opened my eyes, and as a I got older, I learned that I enjoyed having conversations with a lot of different people,” Serrano said. “I was able to negotiate boundaries and learn what people wanted. That got me thinking about what kind of job I could do with those skills.”

He then met a counselor at Franklin Middle School, who broadened his perspective even more, teaching him how to manage his emotions and listen in more effective ways. As time went on, Serrano became a confidant for his peers and other community members.

“People started coming to me to share their thoughts, and I was practicing skills like active listening and reflective listening without even realizing it,” he said. “I eventually figured out that this would be a great career opportunity for me.”

At YVC, Serrano took as many classes as he could to learn about the human condition — subjects like anthropology, psychology, sociology. Once he arrived at Central, he delved into statistics, gender studies, and social sciences to expand his knowledge base. Among the most important lessons he took away from CWU was to “follow the process and follow the data.”

“As psychologists, we have a responsibility to make sure all of our decisions are based on a data-driven perspective,” Serrano said. “The recommendations we make will have an impact on the lives of students and their families, and they need to be supported by as much factual evidence as possible. I thought the CWU program did a really good job of reinforcing that approach.”

Serrano is in his first year working for the Yakima School District, primarily serving Adams and Martin Luther King Jr. elementary schools. But, as one of only two bilingual psychologists in the district, he often finds himself traveling around to lend support.

“Special education is very complicated, and I am seeing a very big need in this community,” he said. “Parents tell me they have never heard things explained to them in this way, and it means a lot to me that I can communicate in a way that makes sense to them. I’ve been put in this amazing position of advocacy, and I give families a place where they can have their voices heard. Those relationships have given me a lot to be proud of.”

Maritza Lazcano

The Ellensburg High School graduate is in the middle of her second year at Union Gap School and, thanks to the support of her colleagues, she is beginning to find her groove.

Her predecessor, Barb Groth, worked in the position for 25 years and she still offers her support wherever she can.

“Barb is my mentor and she still comes by to help as a volunteer,” Lazcano said. “She was part of this school for a long time, and I have learned so much from her.”

Lazcano was familiar with the Union Gap School before starting her full-time position, having completed her internship there. She didn’t realize that she would return to Union Gap until she got a call while she was on maternity leave with her now-2-year-old son.

“The year after I had my baby, they called and asked me to come back,” Lazcano said. “I told them ‘no’ at first, but I called the principal back 20 minutes later and told him I had changed my mind. I’m so glad I did, too!”

Lazcano’s typical week involves testing students, writing reports, doing paperwork, and working with teachers on potential intervention plans for students. She also holds a weekly counseling meeting with one student and performs occasional evaluations at the request of teachers.

“We have a system where teachers can make referrals and share their concerns,” she said. “Then we have a meeting to decide how to move forward instead of just immediately beginning an evaluation. This gives us a little more time to see if the student might have a learning disability rather than a behavioral issue.”

Looking back on her time in Ellensburg, Lazcano credits the CWU psychology programs for preparing her to become an well-rounded professional. She is thankful for hands-on professors like Marrs, who helped her develop the educational foundation required to become a successful school psychologist.

“Five years ago, I didn’t even know what school psychology was,” she said. “Until I started doing undergraduate research with Dr. Marrs, I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. But I’m so glad I discovered this career path because I could see myself doing this job for a really long time. I might even be the next Barb.”

Kylie Melton

The Ellensburg High School graduate had her heart set on becoming a teacher, and she felt like her best option was to stay close to home at one of the best teaching schools in the Northwest.

But after working in a local preschool for a couple years, Melton found that her students were having trouble connecting with the services they needed to be successful.

“I wanted to be part of the problem-solving team, so I decided to go the psychology route instead,” said Melton, who has been working in the Yakima School District since 2023.

“It felt good to me, as a teacher, to get them the help they needed,” she continued. “You want to do whatever you can to support your students, providing with whatever help they need. I eventually figured out that I would be better at problem-solving than managing a classroom.”

After earning three degrees at CWU — a BS in sociology and psychology and an Ed.S in school psychology — Melton was able to find a place where her specialized skills can be most effective. At Lewis and Clark Middle School (LC) in Yakima, she is part of a multi-tiered support team that focuses on inclusive practices, directing students into general education classes as much as possible.

“Our school has a program called ‘social skills training,’” Melton said, adding that the bulk of her time is spent on doing student evaluations and writing reports. “It’s a behavioral health program where we support social-emotional needs and academic challenges simultaneously. My job is to connect students with resources, and then the teachers see those plans through.”

Melton explained that she feels grateful to have such a supportive administration as she does her part to improve the school experience for LC students.

“Our assistant principal, Casceila Miller, has worked tirelessly to implement these systems, and we have seen a lot of growth in the building in a very short time,” Melton said. “There is a high need in this area, and the kids need a lot of resources. I’m proud to be part of a team that is delivering for our students and their families.”

When asked which aspects of the CWU program benefited her most, Melton applauded the “technical” approach the professors took to teaching her and her peers. 

“We all walked out of there knowing how to do our jobs well,” she said. “We had a lot of face-to-face time with our professors, and they were great about setting us up with internship opportunities. I made a lot of lasting relationships at CWU, and I feel like they prepared me really well for what I’m doing now.”