As president of the Psychology Club, Jeremiah Adames prioritizes giving back — something he believes is at the heart of his major.
“When I think about psychology, I think about community service,” says Adames, a first-generation college student from Lawrence who is triple-majoring in psychology, Spanish and French.
A transfer student from Clark University, Adames has taken on a demanding course load at UMass Lowell (UML) while immersing himself in research, leadership and community engagement.
“With the club, I found the perfect way to get involved and meet people who are really active within the degree,” he says.
Under his leadership, the Psychology Club organized a winter coat drive benefiting the New American Association of Massachusetts, which supports refugees and immigrants across the state. As a Moloney Student Scholar, Adames later received funding to intern with the organization, working directly with immigrant families.
“I liked being able to provide people with the representation they needed,” he says.
Research has become another cornerstone of his experience. Through a directed study with Psychology Associate Professor Ivy Ho, Adames is examining discrimination against immigrants in health care settings. He has also worked closely with Associate Chair Megan Papesh, eventually serving as her lab manager, studying memory, attention and implicit medical bias.
Adames is also completing an Emerging Scholars project with Political Science Assistant Professor Rodrigo Castro Cornejo focused on Mexican politics.
“I really just love to learn,” Adames says. “I can’t get enough when it comes to academia.”
Service has remained central throughout his time at UML. As a sophomore, he served as a team leader with Jumpstart at Children’s Village in Lowell, promoting language and literacy in preschool classrooms. His dedication to community engagement earned him a Learning in Retirement Association scholarship.
Outside the classroom, Adames works as an emergency medical technician for Pridestar Trinity EMS. The role has clarified his long-term goals.
“When working, I realized how much our first responders go through and that they need support,” he says.
He has found that his Spanish language skills help him better connect with patients in the field. Encouraged by Assistant Teaching Professor Danielle Boutwell, he added French as a third major, strengthening his ability to serve multilingual communities.
After graduation, Adames plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work and focus on trauma therapy, while continuing his path in medicine by becoming a paramedic.
“UMass Lowell gives you such a grand and expansive catalog of courses,” he says. “It makes finding your path easy.”