Psychology Major Turns Passion into Practice

Raising a future service dog while accelerating her studies, Jessica Bogucki ’26 is shaping a path toward a career in mental health counseling

Key Highlights

• Sacred Heart University psychology major Jessica Bogucki is fast-tracking her degree and seamlessly transitioning into a clinical mental health counseling master’s program, highlighting accelerated pathways into counseling careers.
• Hands-on experience raising a psychiatric service dog through a university-affiliated nonprofit is directly shaping real-world counseling skills and career goals in animal-assisted therapy.
• Strong SHU faculty mentorship, particularly from department leadership, plays a pivotal role in student success, retention, and graduate school continuation.
• Leadership roles at the SHU Canine Cognition Lab and as a teaching assistant demonstrate how undergraduates can gain early research, teaching and lab management experience in psychology programs.
• A competitive internship with the Navy Marine Mammal Program underscores the value of experiential learning, behavioral research and interdisciplinary training in preparing students for mental health and human services careers.

Jessica Bogucki ’26 has always known she wanted to help people. What she didn’t know—at least at first—was exactly how.

“I’ve always been drawn to helping people, but I knew the medical path wasn’t right for me,” she said. “Psychology just clicked—it felt like the way I could make a real impact.”

Now a psychology major finishing an accelerated path to complete her bachelor’s degree in three years, Bogucki is already thinking ahead. She will begin Sacred Heart University’s clinical mental health counseling master's program next year, something she says felt like a natural next step.

“I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else for graduate school,” she said. “The opportunities I’ve had here, the support from faculty—it just made my decision easy.”

She credits much of her positive experience to the psychology department and to faculty mentor Deirdre Yeater, professor and psychology department chair. “Having a mentor like Dr. Yeater has made such a difference for me,” Bogucki said. “I’ve felt supported every step of the way.”

Raising Mango

Her vision for the future is already taking shape thanks to Mango, an 8-month-old black Labrador retriever Bogucki has been raising since the puppy was just 10 weeks old.

Mango is one of four service dogs currently being raised by SHU students through Exceptional Sidekick, a nonprofit that trains psychiatric service dogs. The dogs are raised for about two years before being placed with individuals in need.

Bogucki first discovered the opportunity as a first-year student. “I saw the email about raising a service puppy for credit and immediately thought, ‘I have to do this,’” she said. “I just had to wait until I moved off campus, but I knew I’d come back to it.”

Since signing up for the service dog program, caring for Mango has become a daily commitment—one that requires consistency, patience and adaptability.

“You’re always training, always reinforcing behaviors, always thinking a few steps ahead,” she said. “But it’s incredibly rewarding. You can actually see the impact you’re making over time.”

For Bogucki, the experience is more than meaningful—it’s directly connected to her future career. “This is exactly what I want to do,” she said. “Helping people in a real, tangible way—and eventually working with a therapy dog as part of that.”

Leadership in the lab and classroom

Bogucki’s passion for psychology extends well beyond the classroom.

She serves as lab manager for SHU’s Canine Cognition Lab and as a teaching assistant, leading her own class and gaining early experience at the front of the room.

“Jess is the kind of student who turns passion into action, consistently going above and beyond,” said Yeater. “As lab manager for the Canine Cognition Lab and a dedicated puppy raiser for our psychiatric service dog program, she shows an outstanding commitment to both psychology and service.”

A standout internship experience

Bogucki also completed a highly competitive internship with the Navy Marine Mammal Program, where she worked closely with dolphins and sea lions in a hands-on training and research environment.

“I was doing everything from preparing diets to assisting with training and observing behavior,” she said. “It was intense, but such an incredible experience; you learn so much so quickly.”

The program focuses on marine mammal care, training and research, including studies on animal behavior and environmental enrichment. Interns support daily operations while contributing to ongoing research and training efforts.

Bogucki earned the highest evaluations during her internship, an achievement that helped lead to her current role as a teaching assistant. “Her hard work, curiosity and compassion make her not only an outstanding student, but an inspiring contributor to every community she serves,” Yeater said.

Looking ahead

With an accelerated academic path, leadership roles and hands-on experience already behind her, Bogucki is building a strong foundation for a career in mental health counseling.

And with Mango by her side, that future feels closer than ever.

“I’ve been able to connect everything I’m doing—psychology, working with animals, helping people—into one path,” she said. “It all fits together in a way that just feels right.”