A research lab, an influential mentor, and three years of persistence helped Nicole Pinheiro Mehta discover the power of saying yes to unexpected opportunities.
At A Glance
Alum
Nicole Pinheiro Mehta
Program
BS in Applied Psychology (2021)
Graduate Program
PhD in Mental Health Counseling, East Carolina University
I advise students to advocate for themselves because opportunities will not fall into their lap, and getting a "no" is just the first step! I applied for my PhD for 3 years before I got an offer, so don't be discouraged!"
Patience, Proximity, and Finding Your Path
Dear APUG Student,
I want to share a lesson I learned at NYU that didn’t arrive all at once, but slowly took shape through the people, experiences, and opportunities that changed my path.
Coming from Brazil, I had spent summers interning at psychiatric hospitals and public health clinics in Curitiba. I arrived with clinical instincts and bilingual skills, but lacked a clear plan. A PhD was never on my mind.
Then I joined the Play and Language Lab.
The People That Make A Difference
Under Dr. Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, I spent three years exploring something seemingly simple: how a mother’s proximity to her infant affects language development. I coded hours of video, created behavioral manuals, and learned R. I also presented at the International Congress of Infant Studies in Ottawa. But what influenced me most was not the data. It was Catalina Suarez-Rivera.
Catalina, a postdoctoral fellow, treated undergraduates as colleagues rather than assistants. She guided me through poster presentations and helped me understand what it means to think like a researcher. She added my name to a paper in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience that I genuinely contributed to. She cared about my learning, not just output. I have carried that mentorship with me into every lab, clinic, and client relationship.
Insight that Informs
Honestly, language development was not my passion. I was more drawn to clinical work and meeting the person in front of me. But my lab experience showed me how early environments and interpersonal relationships shape individuals. That insight now informs my work as a Licensed Professional Counselor, my research on mental health in my doctoral program at East Carolina University, and my thoughts on who has access to care.
Here is what I wish someone had told me: the experience that seems unrelated to your goal might be the one that shapes you. Say yes to opportunities that do not seem to fit. Advocate for yourself, as opportunities rarely come uninvited. I applied to PhD programs for three years before I got an offer. Three years. Rejection is not the end. Sometimes, it is just the beginning.
This program offered me more than a degree. It gave me Catalina and a new way of seeing. I am grateful for both.
With gratitude,
Nicole Pinheiro Mehta, BS '21
Nicole Pinheiro Mehta (she/her) graduated from the Applied Psychology undergraduate program at NYU Steinhardt in 2021. She holds an M.S. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is currently a PhD candidate in Counselor Preparation and Research at East Carolina University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) in Illinois, and is fluent in English and Portuguese.
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