Almuna profi le

Francesca McCarthy, M.S., PsyM, pictured in the middle of the children, traveled to Nairobi for a poster presentation at the International Conference on the Impact of Armed Confl ict on Children in 2017. She also visited schools to donate books she and her colleagues collected.

Holy Cross helps alumna discover gifts and map a future that makes a difference

by Lisa Kochanowski, Assistant Director of Communications

A love of sports took class of 2014 alumna Francesca McCarthy on a journey of pursuing a master’s degree in sports psychology in clinical mental health counseling at Indiana State University, but an impactful internship at a maximum-security men’s prison changed her path to pursue correctional psychology.

After earning her Master of Science and discovering a passion for correctional psychology, she decided to continue her academic career, joining Wright State University’s School of Professional Psychology to earn a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). She is currently a fourth year student and is involved in many diff erent projects, including co-developing the “Building Better Parents” parenting class for inmates in the Montgomery County Jail, working with mothers in the “Achieving Baby Care Success” nursery program at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, and completing her dissertation titled “Pregnant Inmates’ Knowledge of the Teratogenic Eff ects of Tobacco and Alcohol.”

Francesca McCarthy, M.S., PsyM from 2013 during her time playing basketball at Holy Cross College.

Francesca McCarthy, M.S.,

PsyM with her poster presentation titled “Building better parents: An 8-week parenting class for women incarcerated in the Montgomery County Jail” at the Ohio Forensic Centers Continuing Education Conference in Dublin, Ohio in 2019.

Since her life changing internship, most of her work has been with female inmates. “I fi nd working with female inmates, an often overlooked and underserved population, very fulfi lling. I decided to be more involved with female inmates specifi cally, because I want to be a part of improving their treatment in jails and prisons,” notes McCarthy.

Undergraduate studies at Holy Cross College helped her discover her gifts and map a future that would include personal fulfi lment.

“I think the most important thing I learned at Holy Cross was that I can make a diff erence. When I went to Peru for my global experience this concept was apparent in so many ways. I didn’t need fancy gifts or a perfect grasp on Spanish to connect with the people I met there,” remarks McCarthy. “That concept has carried over into the work I do with inmates. A specifi c example of this is the Moral Reasoning Group I co-developed for women in prison. I used my hobby of table-top role-playing games to help them practice engaging in ethical decision making. I turned on the silly, pretending to laugh like a goblin, and they loved it! Holy Cross taught me that by simply being me I can make a diff erence in the lives of others. I’ll never forget what one of the women said at the conclusion of the group: ‘I think in the six years I have been here, I have never felt as good about waking up as I have on the days we had our group.’ ”

One of her most memorable moments on her academic journey was the capstone presentation at Holy Cross College.

“As all Holy Cross students know, the capstone presentation is a big deal. I prepared for weeks and practiced over and over. When it came time to fi nally present, I found my groove and really nailed it. That process and presentation gave me a newfound confi dence in my presentation abilities that I still carry with me today. I’ve done professional presentations in places from New Orleans to Nairobi, and I am now teaching college courses. None of that would be happening without my capstone experience,” said McCarthy.

Up next is the start of her internship and completing her fi nal year at Wright State.

“After graduation, I hope to continue my work in corrections in either a prison or jail setting. I have also discovered a love of teaching and hope to continue to teach at the college level. Most importantly, I want to relax and read books with my nephew Raymond (age 5) and niece June (age 2),” shares McCarthy.