Alumni Profile - Elise Luber

Elise Luber, '08

I first fell in love with Fredonia when I went to tour the campus. It had everything I was looking for in an Undergraduate school: charming town, beautiful campus, small class sizes, and one-on-one interaction with professors. I learned so much in my time at Fredonia, and I am a walking spokes-person for the school. My most treasured aspect of Fredonia was the close bond I was able to foster with several of my professors. To this day, I remain close friends with my research professor who has become a mentor over the years to me. The small class sizes allow for in-depth discussions between the students and professors, not just lectures, which was extremely important to me. As I moved on to my graduate degree, I found myself over-prepared, and way ahead of my classmates. I attribute all of this to Fredonia’s excellent scholarship. Fredonia offers many sub-disciplines in Psychology that many other colleges do not offer, and as a result, much of my first semester at graduate school was review.

But I didn’t always know I wanted to go into Industrial Organizational Psychology. When I first got to Fredonia, I knew that I wanted to study Psychology, but had not yet decided on a discipline. That is why I found “Applied Psychology” to be such an invaluable class. This intro class provided an overview of all of the applied psychology disciplines that one may go into, and provided a strong framework for me to build upon. Because of this comprehensive review of all the different avenues one may choose, I was able to narrow down my focus and find the right career path for me. Fredonia also offered the chance to conduct an internship so that we may receive real-world experience in our chosen field. This opportunity to conduct an internship just solidified my career choice.

Since graduating, I went on to get my master’s degree in I/O psychology at a college outside of Philadelphia, and have since moved back to the Buffalo area. I am currently a Senior Compensation Analyst with M&T Bank, overseeing compensation for over 16,000 employees. The foundation Fredonia gave me has served me well, and has allowed me to advance quickly in my career. I have made life-long connections, and built a strong portfolio that will continue to serve me in my future endeavors. I cannot speak highly enough of the Fredonia campus, the curriculum provided, and of course, the professors- who are truly invested in their students.