Kayla Beyer is a junior majoring in psychology with a minor in leadership studies. She is a dedicated student who is driven to go to a graduate school and become an applied behavior analysis consultant after finishing her undergraduate studies at Washburn University. She also wants to be involved in music therapy research.

Beyer has always been intrigued by how the brain works and concerns related to mental health. She first intended to become a therapist and focus on cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. After exploring more opportunities in her major, she changed her mind and became more interested in applied behavioral analysis.

Currently, Beyer is pursuing her passion by working as an applied behavior analysis provider. She works one-on-one with autistic kids and emphasizes environment-based and home-based therapy as interventions.

Beyer is also a member of the Washburn Leadership Institute. She has contributed significantly to the institute over the last two semesters compared to the start of her college career.

“I am a part of the leadership institute. I have contributed a lot more these past two semesters, than I did at the beginning of my college career. I volunteered, I did the leadership challenge event. I was also a pod manager. For scholarship interview day, I was one of the interviewers for incoming students and kind of portrayed how awesome Washburn and the leadership institute is,” Beyer said.

Beyer has been heavily influenced towards her aim by her experiences at Washburn University.

“I have been shown so much kindness by my professors. Washburn is great at facilitating those relationships because of how small the campuses are and just how professional and caring professors are. They want you to learn and succeed,” Beyer said.

Abby Fette, a junior majoring in biology, proposed Beyer as a candidate for student spotlight because she believes that Beyer merits more recognition for her commitment and moral integrity.

“Kayla is a great student because she pushes herself beyond her mental and physical limits, and she always works hard at what she’s passionate about,” Fette said. “I initially thought Kayla was very quiet and shy and didn’t really know what she wanted to go after. Now, I know Kayla can be very outgoing, outspoken when necessary and has hobbies and passions I know she will follow until she succeeds.”

With the firm belief that her education will benefit others, Beyer drives herself forward in her studies. She anticipates achieving her objective by maintaining solid marks and believes that practicing something repeatedly helps it stick in her mind. She prefers a perfectly silent environment for studying; otherwise, she wears earbuds and listens to instrumental jazz music to concentrate.

Beyer has recognized and is utilizing her academic skills to improve herself. She used to presume that being exceptional forever meant achieving all her objectives. Her viewpoint has shifted since then and she presently asserts that asking for more time and assistance is acceptable.

“My academic strength is probably that I try to be very timely with my assignment but I’m able to recognize that I’m not perfect and I am not scared to reach out to professors if I need an extension. And that I do try to be punctual,” Beyer said.

Beyer has recognized her academic weak point and its coping method for her education.

“I can get stressed out easily. And sometimes when I get super stressed, I just shut down. My weakness is not allowing enough self-care to the point where I’m burnt out,” Beyer said. “So, for my coping mechanism, most of the time, I play instruments, mostly the guitar. I try to set aside time where I don’t have to work like an hour or two a week to just sit in my room and play my guitar or watch a movie.”

She enjoys playing the guitar and creating her own tunes when she is away from campus.

“When I was younger, I used it as a coping thing. We had a music class in elementary school, and I was the only one that ever wanted to play the guitar. I’ve always enjoyed music. I’m self-taught on the guitar,” Beyer said.

In addition to studies and leadership abilities, her skills of connecting with children is exquisite.

“I’ve always been drawn to children. When I was younger, I was a lifeguard. So, I was constantly surrounded by children, but I also did a lot of babysitting,” Beyer said. “Kids always have something to teach me even if they are not trying. And they are just so funny and honest. And it’s a stage of life where having an older person step in from the outside can be impactful.”

In her family, Beyer is the first to attend college. She is also the one her family looks to for guidance because of her major in psychology. Beyer enjoys interacting with other people and has a very kind disposition. She picks up on people’s emotions when they are in a particular state and finds happiness in being able to support and cheer others up.

Beyer has distinguished herself as a dedicated student with great leadership abilities as she pursues her passion for assisting people via applied behavior analysis. Her dedication to her studies and self-awareness demonstrates her integrity and her welcoming demeanor and ability to make connections make her a valuable member of the Washburn University community.

Edited by LeSha’ Davis and Simran Shrestha