| Roselyn V. Aker (affectionately known as Roz) was raised in a small town in northwest Georgia and now resides in the Washington, DC metro area. Roz began working in the community as a young child and still carries out these duties as an adult today. Ms. Aker received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Fisk University located in Nashville, Tennessee and is completing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Argosy University in Washington, DC. Upon graduation, Roz received the W.E.B. Dubois Honors, Cum Laude Honors, Psi Chi Honors, as well as being a Mortar Boards' Honor graduate.
As a teenager, Roz was blessed with the opportunity to be a solo vocalist on the live recording of Thankful Baptist Church's " Happy in my Home Over There" gospel album (Rome, Ga 1994). She was the featured soloist of the single "Something I Can Feel" written by the late Mary B. Smith and produced by Vision Ministries.
As a teenager, Roz was chosen to be a panelist for YEP, a Youth Empowerment television program (Rome Georgia). This program highlighted teenage concerns such as drugs, sex, and peer pressure and provided a place where youth were able to freely discuss their issues. Roz served as a Youth Ambassador for the 1996 Olympic Dream Team in Atlanta, Georgia where she mentored inner city children and taught the principles of perseverance. Roz also performed (dancing and singing) in the 1996 Olympics' Opening Act in Atlanta, Georgia.
During Roz's matriculation at Fisk University, she hosted a radio segment entitled "Ask Roz" for WFSK. Students were able to call in and ask for Roz's opinion on different subject matters as it related to family, academics and other issues that may be prevalent amongst college students. Roz also served on the executive staff at The Charles Davis Foundation in which she mentored and tutored inner city children and exposed them to "college life" to promote being able to reach any desired goal.
While at Fisk University, Roz was honored to be crowned as Ms. Senior (1999-2000), Ms. Georgia (1998-1999), and Ms. Psychology (1997-1998). She was Nominated as Nashville's Philanthropist of The Year (1999), received a Congressional Bronze Medal Award for Outstanding Community Service (1996), as well as, Regional President of the Year for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (2000).
Roz has been an avid writer for the online magazine "At the Beauty Shop. com" (formerly known as InnerCosmetics.com) as a Family Dynamics consultant. Through this magazine, Roz has participated in a television pilot show with the syndicated radio host Ms. Olivia Fox and has served as a guest radio host for Mrs. Doris Moore Bailey's show "UPDATE" on WLKF TALK1430AM, a community talk show located in Lakeland, Florida through Hall Communications radio stations.
Ms. Aker has also been blessed with several clinically supervised experiences. As an undergraduate student, Roz was able to conduct research on relational aggression amongst inner city females under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologist Sheila Peters, Ph.D at Fisk University. She conducted a dual internship at Carnegie Mellon University for the National Consortium of Violence Research and at The University of Maryland at College Park in the criminology department under the supervision of Raymond Patternoster, Ph.D.
As a graduate student, Roz has had the opportunity to conduct clinical rotations for several training sites in the DC metro area. Roz was a clinical extern for the Psychiatric Institute of Washington in which she administered psychological assessments for inpatient children and adults under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologist Trudy Summers, Ph. D. She also has had the opportunity to conduct individual, group, and family therapy at The Center for Mental Health for children between the ages of one to fifteen under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologist Jeanne Creekmore, Ph.D.
Currently, Roz is completing her clinical psychology doctoral internship at the Pennsylvania Counseling Services located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Roz serves as a family based therapist, as well as an outpatient clinician, under the supervision of John Grisbacher, Ph.D, Roger Beardmore, Ph.D, and Virginia Hart, Ph.D.
Roz's passion is devoted to helping women reach their full potential. In 2002, Roz cofounded Women Empowered to Change (WETC) to help enhance the lives of inner city women. This program was designed to help women develop self-mastery skills, to provide social support and social service resources.
As a full time student, Roz has also maintained a job working within the inner city community. She served as a program coordinator for the Make a Difference Center in which she managed a community center for children and implemented a free Saturday tutorial program. Roz also served as the After school Program Director for East Capital Center for Change, an organization that provides services such as free tutoring, free healthcare, job training, GED classes, and Cisco training, just to name a few. Roz also serves as a home- based therapist for DC Crime Victims through Free ADVICE, Inc.
Roz's greatest joy is being able to provide assistance to others and to empower others to reach their full potential. Roz believes that your character is the only thing that defines you as you live on this earth and is the only thing that you are remembered by once you perish. |
