Madison McTier, a student in Penn GSE’s School and Mental Health Counseling master’s program, is drawing on her experience as a former Philadelphia high school science teacher to explore how social and emotional learning can address systemic barriers affecting students. Since summer 2025, McTier has worked with the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at Andrew Hamilton School in West Philadelphia, where she provides individualized support to third- and fourth-grade students. Working alongside teachers, she helps students develop emotional regulation, social skills, and self-advocacy through classroom activities, individualized action plans, and dedicated spaces where students can process their emotions.
The experience has deepened McTier’s interest in addressing the structural factors that shape children’s educational and emotional development, particularly the effects of unaddressed trauma. She has seen students become more comfortable identifying their emotions, communicating their needs, and advocating for themselves at school and at home. After graduating in spring 2027, McTier plans to pursue a combined J.D.-Ph.D. in law and psychology, with the goal of building a career at the intersection of education policy and school-based mental health and helping ensure education systems better serve students’ social, emotional, and academic needs.
Read the full story on Penn Today.
Photo by Eric Sucar.
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