Well, my name is Ann Cooper and I go by Ann. My journey began in Melbourne Beach, Florida, where I was born and raised. After graduating from high school in 2001 I attended Auburn University for a communications degree. After realizing that maybe I wasn’t a hundred percent sure on that path I moved to New York City. While in the city “finding myself” I took classes at Parson’s and the Fashion Institute, as well as worked in visual merchandising for Saks Fifth Avenue.
After working several different jobs in retail I found myself back in school about two years ago. I have loved every minute of being back in school, no matter how hard it has been, because I am finally studying something I love. I am extremely excited to be in my last semester as a senior in Psychology with my minor in Women’s Studies.
I am also excited that this class was added so that I could take it before leaving. One of the main reasons I was interested in this class is because I would really like to use my degree to work with females, in particular those in the 18-28 year old range. While that isn’t in the range of girlhood I feel that the things that happen to young girls are what create who they are in young adulthood. Many young women have terrible body images because of what they were told, shown, or heard as a young girl. I believe that learning more about the “girl” will help me in treating and helping the “young woman.”
In addition to learning about girls and their body images I also want to learn about some of the major issues surrounding body image. I have been working on an Honors in the Major project, which involves female issues, and through it I have read many articles and a few books. One of the biggest things I have learned about and I want to learn even more about is how girls and women do things to their body to deal with inner turmoil. Whether it is through eating, alcohol, drugs, or hurting oneself it seems that girls and women do something to their body to solve, and only temporarily, their problems. An author and psychologist whose work I have been following is Susan Nolan-Hoeksema, and I would recommend reading any of her articles or her books.
I am really looking forward to working with everyone and most of all learning from everyone!
