Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

W W W. P A C E . E D U / D Y S O N 11 Dr. Marc Gironda '00 A graduate of the PsyD program in School-Clinical Child Psychology, Marc Gironda plays both the piano and trumpet, and is most fascinated by the universality of music, its timelessness, and its presence in every culture. He is also interested in musical perception. "I enjoyed investigating how musicians versus non-musicians process music in the brain, as well as the similarities between music and language," Gironda said. "Most aspects of how we perceive and understand music, both emotionally and cognitively, were interesting to me." As an undergraduate, he earned bachelor's degrees in both music and psychology at Colgate University, but it was his coursework in applied psychology that led him to Pace's APA- accredited PsyD program on the New York City campus. Today, Gironda credits Pace with providing not only an academic curriculum that prepared him for his current work and practice, but also access to professors such as Richard Velayo, with whom he presented research at conferences sponsored by the American Psychological Society and the Eastern Psychological Association. His rigorous field placements were also a big pa of the making of this dedicated professional. Gironda worked as a school psychologist at the Pequannock Township School District in New Jersey, as well as with children and adults in both inpatient and outpatient se ings at Hackensack University Medical Center and Morristown Memorial Hospital (now Morristown Medical Center). Although it was a challenge to balance the demands of graduate school with the expectations of fieldwork, it le him feeling confident about his abilities as a practicing psychologist. "I felt there was an excellent balance between academic and real-world preparation through my Pace education," Gironda said. He currently works at Ba ky Healthcare Center in Livingston, New Jersey, focusing on children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. Recognized as a "Top Kids' Doc" by New Jersey Family magazine, he sees patients with a range of issues, from anxiety and depression to adjustment a er divorce and changing family situations, and has a special interest in working with individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. "The work can be hard, but it's ultimately very meaningful when I can make a difference in an individual's life," Gironda said. Dr. Yve e Edwards '87 For Yve e Edwards, it's been a long but ultimately fulfilling road from Kingston, Jamaica, where she was born to her private practice in South Carolina, one that incorporates chiropractic, nutrition, weight loss, and regenerative medicine. Arriving in the United States in 1980 and raised by a single and financially struggling parent, Edwards very much wanted to be independent upon graduation from Pace. An initial career assessment as a student revealed that she could excel in many different areas, so she selected a major in chemistry, a course of study that was listed as leading to high-paying professions. It has led to her best life in more ways than one. She said, "It allowed me the oppo unity to mix and make products sta ing from scratch, and I have been able to use this skill in figuring out the best combination of nutritional supplements that lead to health and healing for so many folks." Edwards didn't sta out with a plan to pursue medicine. At one point, she did consider becoming a medical doctor, but her philosophy on life and belief that the body is self-healing discouraged her. A er graduating from Pace, she was immediately recruited by a chemical company, BASF, where she flourished for nearly a decade, working in automotive quality assurance. Then one day, Edwards needed to accompany her mother, who was struggling with walking, to a chiropractic appointment during a visit to South Florida. At the time, she was neither overly familiar with this modality nor aware of its holistic approach to health. Edwards was astounded when her mother, who'd entered the office with a walker, exited "practically running" following her appointment. A er having a personal experience of recovery for back-related issues, Edwards decided to enroll in Sherman College of Chiropractic in Atlanta, where she eventually graduated with honors. It has been almost twenty years that she has been a licensed chiropractic physician, work that is both financially and personally rewarding. "I am very grateful for the oppo unity to help all the people placed with me to enhance and recover naturally," she said. Today, she has expanded her practice to include an associate doctor of chiropractic, and she provides nutritional consults, weight-loss therapy utilizing UV-light technology, and non-surgical knee pain recovery, thereby helping others recover from illnesses they otherwise expected to be lifelong. When asked what advice she would provide students, her response, of course, is holistic. "Stay disciplined enough to finish [school], don't worry about your future, and hold your image of success," she said. "Don't worry about your future, and hold your image of success." —Dr. Yvette Edwards "The work can be hard, but it's ultimately very meaningful." —Dr. Marc Gironda

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