Student & Alumni Stories

Janarish Lopez ‘19
Bristol, Connecticut

Janarish always knew she wanted a career helping people in the medical field. She trained and worked as a phlebotomist, took courses toward a nursing degree, and finally transferred her credits to Bay Path University, where she considered Medical Science and Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies before choosing a major in HHS. “HHS is both broad enough and specific enough, with so many options for helping people in different settings,” says Lopez. While taking the four courses required for the Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate, Lopez says she “fell in love with ABA (Applied Behavior Therapy),” which uses scientific principles to increase helpful behaviors and decrease undesirable ones. She did a paid internship with Worcester-based Behavioral Concepts, which specializes in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and as a senior, she landed a full-time job as a therapist for children with autism at The Talcott Center for Child Development in Farmington, Connecticut. Lopez says that ABA therapy requires great patience, a deep understanding of the cause of undesirable behaviors, and a lot of rest and recovery at night! But she finds the rewards are well worth the effort: making children feel safe, giving them the tools to recognize and cope appropriately with their feelings, watching them progress with daily tasks and learning, and seeing the relief and gratitude of their family members. Crediting Bay Path for patient, devoted professors and an empowering learning environment, Lopez doesn’t rule out returning some day for the MS in Applied Behavior Analysis. But for now and after her graduation in December 2019, she looks forward to continuing the work she loves.