CMAS Scholarship Recipients
de Lissovoy Scholarship Recipients
2025-26
My name is Amelia Green and I am a junior at Penn State, majoring in Criminology with a minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy. After graduation, I plan to attend grad school, where I will hopefully receive either a JD or an MSW that will enable me to work and support children and their families. I have always been interested in working with children and creating a safer environment for them, so I am very excited to have an internship with Children and Youth Services. From this opportunity, I hope to gain a greater understanding of the skills and practices involved in this profession, along with a deeper insight into the child welfare system as a whole.
My name is Bethany Montalbano and I'm originally from San Jose, California but currently live in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. I am a junior at Penn State majoring in Criminology with a double minor in Psychology and Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies. After I graduate, I intend to pursue a master's degree in Social Work with a concentration on children and families. I intend to work as a juvenile forensics interviewer or caseworker and work my way up to be a juvenile forensics interviewer for the FBI. Since I was in high school, I have always had a passion for working with children. After my internship with CYS for my Fall 2024 semester, I knew I wanted to officially make protecting children a part of my career. I am thoroughly looking forward to my internship experience with the Child Advocacy Center next Spring as I hope to broaden my knowledge of the children's welfare processes and prepare myself for the future. I hope to apply my knowledge from my CMAS classes to this experience as well as make the most of my time developing new skills. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and cannot wait to see what the future holds!
My name is Laura Singer, and I’m from Allentown, Pennsylvania. I am a junior at Penn State, majoring in Nursing with a minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies. After graduation, I plan to work in the hospital while pursuing my doctorate to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). I have always been passionate about working with children and hope to integrate this into my future career. Next fall, I am excited to begin my internship with Children and Youth Services, where I will have the opportunity to work firsthand with families and apply my studies to a real-world setting. I hope to gain valuable experience and skills that will be invaluable in my professional journey. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and look forward to gaining a deeper insight into child welfare.
2024-25
My name is Cassidy Monaghan and I am a sophomore at Penn State from Bucks County, PA. I am majoring in Elementary Education and double minoring in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies and Special Education. Although the Children’s Advocacy Center internship experience may seem unrelated to education, I strongly believe that getting to know these children and families in tough situations will better prepare me for working with students and families of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. I’m so excited to become a part of the Centre County CAC and I can’t wait to see how this internship aids in my future endeavors in teaching and forming relationships in my classroom!
My name is Priya Tang and I am currently a sophomore at Penn State majoring in Criminology and minoring in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies. Upon completing my education at Penn State, I plan to attend law school and become a criminal prosecutor, eventually making my way to a private defense attorney advocating for victims as well as those who were wrongfully accused or prosecuted. I will be interning at Centre County CYS where I hope to expand my knowledge to better understand and advocate for my future clients, specifically those who are victims of abuse. I hope to learn about the roles of the multidisciplinary teams that have an impact on ensuring child well being and safety. As a former foster youth and current camp counselor to children including those in low income households and foster care, I am very grateful for this opportunity to be able be the best advocate I can be.
Past de Lissovoy interns:
2023-24
- Jasmine Kaypour
- Megan McBride
2022-23
- Julia Clemens, Psychology and Criminology
- Elena Eckenrode, Nursing
- Alexis Murphy-Costanzo, Psychology
2021-22
- Josie Currie, Nursing
- Devon Gannon, Nursing
2020-21
- Gianna Gordon, Nursing
- Julia Santoro, Rehabilitation and Human Services
2019-20
- Stephanie Howell, Immunology and Infectious Disease
- Samantha Niagara, Human Development and Family Studies
- Grace Pulito, Nursing
2018-19
- Haley Engelman, Psychology
- Kayla Clements, Criminology
- Kelsey Ort, Criminology
2017-18
- Rachel Coval, Human Development and Family Studies
- Lydia Harris, Nursing
2016-17
- Margaret Costa, Science
- Alexis Jefferson, Nursing
Current Reducing Disparities in Child Welfare interns:
2025-26
My name is Marola Anes and I’m from Lancaster, PA. I’m a junior at Penn State, majoring in Biology with a minor in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies. After graduation, I plan to go to medical school and hope to specialize in pediatrics. The CMAS minor has given me great resources and insights that I know will be valuable in my future, and I’m excited to continue expanding my knowledge through my internship as a research assistant for The Child Health Study. I’m passionate about helping vulnerable communities, especially children and underserved populations so this opportunity will certainly help me learn more about those communities. Through this internship, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the disproportionalities in child welfare and explore how adverse experiences impact brain development and bodily systems over time.
My name is Carolyn Corallo, and I’m currently a junior at Penn State, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Child Maltreatment Advocacy Studies. After I graduate, I plan to pursue a master's degree in either counseling or social work, with the goal of becoming a child therapist. I have always had a passion for working with children and knew from an early age that my career would involve supporting children and families. I’m looking forward to my internship next spring, where I’ll get to see firsthand how therapeutic techniques, that I have learned about in my CMAS courses, are applied in real-world settings. This opportunity will allow me to gain valuable hands-on experience in the child welfare field, which will be crucial for my future career. I’m excited to further develop my skills and contribute to the well-being of children and families through this experience!
2024-25
My name is Keya Ahrestani and I am a senior at Penn State University majoring in Psychology and on the path to earn three minors: (1) Child Maltreatment & Advocacy Studies, (2) Spanish, and (3) Health Policy & Administration. In the future, I am highly interested in working in either public health or pursuing international law to weave together my passions for children's welfare and women's rights. I will be working with the school counselor and community at Young Scholars School for my capstone experience. I look forward to learning more about the children and families who are struggling in our community and what we can and are doing to support them. I also hope to gain useful information about how to support local minority and culturally diverse communities in order to further my exposure to disparities.
Hi, my name is Sofia Chickos from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am currently a junior majoring in criminology and minoring in both Spanish and Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies. After graduating from Penn State, I plan to attend law school. My internship site is at the Mount Nittany Middle School as a part of their Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Program in State College. As an intern, I hope to learn more about the inner workings within the program and how this specific program could be replicated in other educational establishments. I’m looking forward to expanding my problem-solving skills and using my educational background within the CMAS minor to its full effect. I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to next spring!
Past Reducing Disparities in Child Welfare interns:
2023-24
- Hannah Donnell
- Hannah Majofsky
2022-23
- Julia Chan, Nursing major, HDFS minor
2021-22
- Janiyah Davis, Criminology and Psychology
- Lani Rosenbaum, Psychology
Past McNair Scholar:
2021-2022
- Silvia Barboza, Psychology