Macy Minnocci: Honors College Alum & Stanford University Intern

At the Honors College, we have a high population of high-achievers and go-getters. Macy Minnocci is an excellent example of such a student. In fact, she had an incredible opportunity to intern with Stanford University. Macy is originally from Santa Clara, California and began her college career at the young age of 15 and graduated as the youngest Valedictorian of Mission Community College at only 17 years old. Once she completed her AA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Social and Behavioral Sciences, she decided to continue her education at GCU. After three short semesters, Macy graduated summa cum laude at 19 and began interviewing for her doctoral program. She’s happy to announce that she’s been accepted and has begun this summer. Macy chose GCU because of its dedication to students, the Christian culture on campus, as well as all the opportunities that come with the Honors College. Moving to Arizona was a major transition for Macy, but she was able to thrive and prepare for her future coursework and career. 

Macy, as the motivated student that she is, wanted to get started on preparing for her future and avidly began applying for internships. Without avail, she applied to over 50 internships and gives God the credit for the opportunity that she was given at Stanford. The Vice President of Student Services at Mission College, Dr. John Mosby, whom she owes a lot of her academic success to, connected her to another professor that had contact with the Research Experience Program Director at Stanford. Through networking, interviews and numerous assessments, Macy was hired as an intern. She worked with other interns on small teams for various projects. For example, one team would be asked to do a literature review over the span of a few months, while another team coded experimental responses or were subjects in a pilot study.

Since July of 2017, Macy had been working on coding a data set of roughly 1,000 participants as well as being involved in a new pilot exercise study. The Psychophysiology Department at Stanford works to uncover the patterns and associations between the body’s physiological responses and the psychological state of individuals. Emotion regulation, stress, exercise and specific diseases are observed to improve the quality of life for those affected. This exercise study also aims to bring understanding on the conditions to improve clinical treatments for future participants. A key lesson Macy has learned throughout her internship and involvement in studies has been the importance of commitment. While at Stanford, she has gained a new sense of confidence in herself and in her work and has learned a lot of new things. Through it all, she is extremely thankful for the opportunity that she has had.

Macy graduated from GCU in December of 2017 and has moved to San Diego to begin her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Alliant University, a school where Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow and many other world-renowned psychologists have taught. She’s been counseling a young girl every week and has found the experience to be extremely rewarding.

I asked Macy if she has any advice or wisdom for students and other individuals and she responded with, “one cannot let others stifle what you’ve accomplished.” She’s had many people tell her that she could never achieve certain things, when in fact, she’s exceeded far past what they said she never could. She said that many people will attempt to deter you from the path but, keep hope and faith in the Lord, who will work everything out for his glory. Secondly, she recommends planning ahead and making a schedule in order to be effective and efficient. Macy also advised people to utilize their resources and speak with professors, asking for advice and getting to know them. Lastly, she encourages others to be steadfast in prayer because we will all face times of trial and triumph. It is essential that we find our strength and identity in the Lord.

“Our time in college is one of incredible change and development and it’s up to you to decide what kind of experience you want to have.” – Macy Goss

To learn more about how you can join the community of motivated and ambitious students in Grand Canyon University’s Honors College, visit our website or click the Request More Information button.