Freddy Soltero, B.A. ’19
Freddy Soltero ’19 went to a small, Catholic high school in Gardena named Junipero Serra High which was staffed by multiple members of LMU’s PLACE Corps program. From these individuals, he learned a lot about LMU's mission. After visits LMU, he fell in love with the campus and intimate classroom size in every program.
Freddy has always been fascinated by professionals in the service industry such as doctors, social workers, and therapists. He found himself interested in these specific fields due to the rise in mental health needs. With this notion, he decided to study Psychology.
Freddy is most interested in the study of Clinical Psychology. One of his favorite courses was Dr. Gilbert's Intro to Clinical Psychology. The knowledge he gained during the time in this course exposed him to the world of clinical theories and mental health. Most importantly, he began to build the identity of the type of therapist he desired to be from Dr. Gilbert's mentorship.
While at LMU, Freddy had the opportunity to be a research assistant for Dr. Ghavami's Peer Relations Lab during the school year and through SURP. While working in the lab, he had the opportunity to assist with three projects which focused on student peer relations, intersectional racism, and the work of the Los Angeles School Police Department. Freddy was responsible for assisting in the project design of the Policing Project in addition to presenting research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. He also traveled with Dr. Ghavami to Portland to do a poster presentation at SPSP 2019, where he presented the lab’s findings on a project exploring the intersectionality of Race and Gender on the formation of stereotypes.
In Freddy’s Senior year he applied to Pepperdine's Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, USC’s Masters of Social Work Program, and Azusa Pacific University’s Master’s Program in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Azusa Pacific University to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is working as a residential treatment counselor for adolescents at Evolve Growth Initiative.
Freddy chose Azusa Pacific due to their added emphasis on incorporating personal spirituality into the traditional bio-psycho-social model of treatment for clients. The concept of Ignatian spirituality was something he carried with him from LMU and he has decided that it is something he would like to incorporate into his practice moving forward.
Freddy’s ultimate goal is to eventually receive a Doctor of Psychology (Psy. D) and work with at-risk teenagers as he currently does. He would like to practice as a psychotherapist helping adolescents work through issues of trauma, substance use, and other emotional health issues that result from living in marginalized communities.