Her Story
About Arina
I'm currently in my first year at Pasco Hernando State College as a clinical psychology major, working toward my goal of becoming a clinical psychologist with a PhD. I'm considering programs at FSU, USF, and UCF, with particular interests in trauma, OCD, anxiety, and family and parenting skills. On campus, I'm extremely active in leadership roles - I serve as Vice President of both NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and the Human Services Club, Treasurer of Psi Beta, and I'm a member of Phi Theta Kappa. I'm particularly proud of starting my own research club on campus. Beyond my studies, I'm deeply committed to helping others through my work as a crisis text line volunteer for 988 calls, which I find incredibly meaningful. I've been tutoring students in math and literature for over 5 years now. I also serve as a board member of Gigi's Playhouse where I'm on the marketing committee, helping write blogs and oversee social media content. Additionally, I'm a Stand advisor for a local non-profit organization in Pasco County that leads kids against substance abuse, where I help plan events. In high school, I was Poet Laureate, and I worked as a social media content creator for LA Mental Health in my local area, where I interviewed therapists and clinicians and posted content on the official company website. My typical day starts around 6:30 AM, often with a walk or run and reading my Bible. I attend classes, take notes, and do a lot of research and writing for my psychology major. Throughout the day, I manage numerous emails for club responsibilities, event planning, and volunteer activities. I'm a Christian, and keeping God at the center of everything I do is essential to my mental health and success. I value family, friends, honesty, and kindness, always remembering that you never truly know what anyone is going through.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Arina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's consistency. That's number one - consistently showing up and having discipline, and just being positive. No matter what happens, you have to keep going, you have to keep showing up. It doesn't matter if it's not 100% of your day. It could be 30%, it could be 50%, but as long as you keep showing up, you're gonna be better than wherever you were in the first place. I also think it's about pushing my boundaries of what I think I can achieve. Being active on campus and taking on leadership positions has really helped me grow beyond what I thought was possible.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received is to always keep looking upwards and always keep going no matter what. No matter what happens, you have to socialize, you have to work out, you have to journal, and take care of your mental health, and look at the positive, because there's always two sides to a coin. You can either ruminate about your past, regret everything, and live in your past, or you can live in the present. And no matter what happens, if it's not perfect, it does not matter. You have to keep going, you have to keep showing up. It doesn't matter if it's not 100% of your day. It could be 30%, it could be 50%, but as long as you keep showing up, you're gonna be better than wherever you were in the first place.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to not give up, keep your head up high, and do not compare yourself to others. Focus on yourself, focus on your talents, on your journey, and where you're going. If people do feel compelled to compare themselves to others, or they're jealous, that's just an emotional indicator that you want something in your heart that other people have. So there's no limit for you to stop yourself and get that thing that they want. If you want something, go get it. Don't let comparison hold you back - use it as motivation to pursue what you truly desire.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my biggest challenges as a college student is sometimes struggling with prioritizing my time management. I get a lot of assignments, and sometimes I like to prioritize everything equally, but that doesn't mean everything is actually equally prioritized. So I think knowing which tasks to prioritize first, and then adequately managing my time for each task, is something I'm working on. At the same time, there are incredible opportunities - I'm active in so many clubs and leadership positions, I get to volunteer on crisis lines helping people in their darkest moments, and I'm building connections and skills that will help me in my future career as a clinical psychologist.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'm a Christian, so I love God and I follow God. God is the top priority in my life. I find it so important to keep Him in the center of every single thing that I do, because if I don't, my mental health kind of crashes. I also value family a lot, I value my friends, so I love socializing and checking in on people, knowing that they're doing okay, and I love uplifting others. I think other values would be honesty, and just being kind to everybody, because you never truly know what anyone is going through. These values guide everything I do, from my volunteer work on crisis lines to how I interact with people on campus and in my community.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Florida
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.