Saint Michael's College

Major: Psychology
Hometown: Poultney, VT

Life is an ongoing investigation for Taryn Grabowski.

Since childhood, the Saint Michael’s College junior psychology major from tiny Poultney, Vt., has shown persistent curiosity about human nature. She says psychology helps her understand herself and others better, whether she’s among the close friends who share a campus theme house dedicated to animal rights, or working part-time at Price Chopper, or hitting the books to maintain her 3.9 grade-point average.

Some day, Taryn hopes to investigate crime scenes as a police forensic psychologist, delving into the workings of criminal minds. Her career goal is understandable since Taryn’s dad is a probation officer, and given her love for horror-suspense thrillers and the TV crime show “CSI” as “guilty pleasures.”

Already as an eighth-grader in her west-central Vermont home town of about 2,500 residents, Taryn knew she wanted to study psychology, not only because human behavior fascinated her, but because friends and family seemed to value her willingness to listen, care and understand whenever they came to her with issues.

Taryn sees psychology as a wide opening to interesting careers. “You can get into business, definitely law school, become a psychiatrist, be a teacher. You just apply it to whatever you want to do,” she says. “It never hurts to know about people, no matter what career you choose.” she says.

At Saint Michael’s, upper-level students who share a strong interest can propose a “theme-house” residential experience. So as an animal-lover, Taryn lives with friends who also care deeply about animal rights.

A high school teacher told her about Saint Michael’s, and recommended it highly. “I knew it was a good education, and when I looked into it more, it was just what I was looking for – it was perfect.”

Her near-perfect grade-point average has meant hard work, but that doesn’t bother Taryn. “I’m very future oriented and into doing what I’ve got to do - and more - because that’s what college is all about. It’s that stepping stone,” she says. “If you keep up with reading, you can do well. It’s all worth it when you get the good grades. “I’m really proud of myself, and I work hard too. It’s a payoff.”

Taryn already is looking at graduate programs in forensic psychology, from Stanford in California to Castleton State in Vermont. She looks forward to working next year, through the campus volunteer program MOVE, tutoring young students in a Burlington-area juvenile detention center. Her senior year also will involve a “practicum” of interning at a mental hospital for 10 hours a week, an experience reserved for top students in psychology..

Taryn loves children and travel, and would like to visit Spain to work on her Spanish after graduation. Her beloved pets are Kiska the dog, Sugar the cat, and Beta the Siamese Fighting Fish. “My fish has some aggression issues,” she says. On her own time, Taryn also loves writing short stories and poetry, singing and listening to all types of music.

The core of her Saint Michael’s experience, Taryn says, has been “meeting my friends, who now are really close to me – I think all the people who came here, came for different reasons, but we all have a lot in common in what we want out of life.”