{"id":7774,"date":"2016-10-26T15:33:43","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T20:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.thechicagoschool.edu\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T15:52:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:52:18","slug":"the-millennial-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/from-the-magazine\/the-millennial-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"The millennial effect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christopher McMullen was 18 when Barack Obama was elected as the first black president of the U.S., but that iconic campaign slogan<\/a>\u2014and the movement that resulted from the historic political race\u2014continues to define him and his generation.<\/p>\n

Yes, we can.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a mindset that Millennials have, \u2018We\u2019re going to make things happen, no matter what,\u2019\u201d explains McMullen, now 26 and a second-year Clinical Forensic Psy.D.<\/a> student at The Chicago School\u2019s Los Angeles Campus<\/a>. \u201cI feel that this is an \u2018I can\u2019 group, a group\u00a0who knows it takes sacrifice to get things done and make lasting change in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

McMullen\u2019s own life story growing up in Macon, Ga., is an example of that. He was 9 when his father died. The devastating loss left him angry and\u00a0confused. And yet, he overcame those challenges to achieve the one dream his mother had for her son\u2014becoming the first person in their family to\u00a0get a college degree.<\/p>\n

It certainly wasn\u2019t an easy journey and at times, he says it even seems \u201cfar-fetched\u201d that he could be where he is today\u2014a young black man getting a doctoral degree in psychology.<\/p>\n

But he made it. Just like many of his contemporaries are doing things others once thought impossible.<\/p>\n

They are the Millennials, and as McMullen puts it, they are fearless.<\/p>\n

\u201cFear is something that keeps a lot of people from doing what they want to do and one thing I can say about the Millennials I know is that we redefine\u00a0what it means to be successful. We are redefining the fight against racism, we are redefining how to support feminism, we are confronting all of these\u00a0\u2018isms and are contributing to a new age in society.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And yet, that\u2019s hardly what you see in the media these days as corporations and pundits seek to understand what the Pew Research Center has determined is the nation\u2019s largest and most influential<\/a> demographic since the Baby Boomers.<\/p>\n

Making their mark<\/h3>\n

Derided as spoiled and overprotected, disparaged as over-confident and even narcissistic, and scorned for their disdain of traditional values and lifestyles\u00a0that they view as antiquated\u2014or worse, irrelevant\u2014the Millennials have provided fodder for years of best-selling books, endless data-crunching, and\u00a0interminable speculation about exactly who and what they will grow up to become.<\/p>\n

Predictions about the impact this generation would have as they came of age varied wildly: they would be the smartest, but least financially successful generation; they would find themselves shamefully unprepared for the expectations of the workplace; they would turn many a tried-and-true\u00a0way of thinking on its head; they would reset the business agenda of the 21st century and change the way we think about money, work, marriage equality,\u00a0religion, politics, and more.<\/p>\n

Some 14 to 20 years\u2014depending on which definition you choose\u2014after the most privileged of Millennial babies settled into their color-coordinated, child-proofed nurseries, millennials are becoming adults. The generation has officially grown up, many of them 20- and 30-somethings who have already begun to leave an indelible mark on everything from the consumer marketplace<\/a> to the workplace to yes, even the world of professional psychology\u00a0and behavioral health sciences.<\/p>\n

Dr. Heather Sheets, dean of The Chicago School\u2019s Washington, D.C. Campus<\/a>, says students like McMullen embody the future of the university.<\/p>\n

\u201cMillennial students continue to dominate enrollment rosters throughout the university,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time because their influence is helping us become a better institution. They\u2019re used to high levels of involvement from authority figures and they expect a high level of involvement\u00a0from their campus.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In response, The Chicago School is tailoring its services\u2014both academic and administrative\u2014to the needs of this generation.<\/p>\n

The Chicago School responds<\/h3>\n

Many academic programs have been customized to meet the needs of Millennials who want to spend as little time on campus as possible or to rely on their laptops and tablets for instruction.<\/p>\n

Applied Behavior Analysis<\/a> is just one example of a program that has been revamped into a blended format that only requires students to step into a\u00a0classroom every other weekend, while the Online Campus<\/a> has launched several new programs as well. All student information is now centralized on a one-stop website, so that processes that previously required forms, email inquiries, and\u00a0personal visits can now be performed with a minimal number of keyboard strokes.<\/p>\n

Even student events are being designed with the Millennial love of convenience and low-commitment options in mind.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about ease of access, but it\u2019s also about getting business done with less effort,\u201d says Jennifer Stripe Portillo, vice president of student affairs<\/a>. \u201cStudents tell us they want to get done what they need to get done \u2018on my time and my\u00a0schedule.\u2019 Often that time is at 2 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chicago School has also added extra campus support for this evolving demographic in the form of a Student Success Specialist<\/a>. Available by email, Skype, or in person, this addition to the Student Affairs Office troubleshoots problems that range from course schedules to account balances\u00a0and re-entry procedures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are processes that take time and require in-depth research into institutional resources,\u201d Stripe Portillo says. \u201cThese students don\u2019t want to spend the time\u2014they want convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even student events are being designed with the Millennial love of convenience and low-commitment options in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s Welcome Weeks<\/a> activities for new students, the services offered by NCADE<\/a> (the National Center for Academic & Dissertation\u00a0Excellence) or Safe Zone Training, students can choose to log in to webinars if they don\u2019t have time to come to actual events,\u201d Stripe Portillo says. \u201cThe Millennials are the future and it\u2019s our job to help them succeed at The Chicago School.\u201d<\/p>\n

Generation of action<\/h3>\n

For McMullen, that success is already happening.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really remarkable to be here doing what I\u2019m doing,\u201d he says, explaining that when he received a B.S. in Sociology from the historically black Savannah State University, he felt a calling to serve minority mental health and social justice needs. \u201cI feel grateful that I was born when I was, because it gave me the opportunity to be a part of this group that is willing to stand up and fight for change. We are a generation of action and through social media and\u00a0social movements, we\u2019re making our voices heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re supposed to do, go back to your community and make a bridge for others,\u201d explains McMullen. \u201cI want others in my community\u00a0to see what I\u2019m doing and believe they can achieve anything they want to achieve.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And while McMullen says making a graduate psychology education more \u201cconvenient\u201d is attractive to his Millennial peers, what he values most about his The Chicago School educational experience so far has been the diversity of opportunities to stay engaged and give back.<\/p>\n

In addition to working on campus as a student admissions representative and graduate assistant, he spent two months working as a corps member at City Year Los Angeles<\/a>, providing emotional and educational support to children in struggling socioeconomic areas. He\u2019s also a member of the Association of Black Psychologists<\/a> and incoming president of the Black Student Union<\/a> with plans to spearhead a minority mental health conference in the L.A. community next summer, before he even graduates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re supposed to do, go back to your community and make a bridge for others,\u201d explains McMullen. \u201cI want others in my community\u00a0to see what I\u2019m doing and believe they can achieve anything they want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Sheets sees that Millennials\u2014who grew up with the world at their fingertips through technology\u2014exemplify an intrinsic desire to change society for the better, not just in their own communities, but on a global scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat gets our students excited and motivated is helping others. When they finish their degrees and look for a job, they value doing what truly fulfills\u00a0them,\u201d she says. \u201cThis means The Chicago School needs to continue to evolve in order to meet their needs, and continue to give them the opportunities\u00a0to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready to serve<\/h3>\n

Service has long been the backbone of The Chicago School experience. Students become involved in community service<\/a> beginning in their first semester and continue throughout their academic career\u2014through service-learning courses, volunteer activities, and working with a wide range of nonprofits\u00a0during their field experiences.<\/p>\n

And for more than three decades, their efforts have reached across five continents and dug deep into underserved areas in the U.S.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They are training teachers in genocide-ravaged Rwanda<\/a> to recognize and address the symptoms of trauma, helping address the mental health issues\u00a0that plague residents of Los Angeles\u2019 Skid Row, and working with Syrian refugees in Athens, Greece.<\/p>\n

And for more than three decades, their efforts have reached across five continents and dug deep into underserved areas in the U.S.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s different about this new influx of Millennial students, Dr. Sheets explains, is that like everything else they do, they are always questioning, always advocating, always pushing for more. For example, while faculty and staff at each campus had long observed an annual Community Day of Service, she says it was students at the Washington, D.C. Campus<\/a> who asked to be included.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came to us with a long list of service projects they wanted to do\u2014suicide prevention walks, PRIDE activities, collecting toys for the Ronald McDonald House,\u201d says Dr. Sheets, explaining that other The Chicago School campuses have now followed their lead, broadening their annual Day of Service to include students. \u201cThey are not afraid to speak up and ask for what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps this is only more evidence that Millennials have indeed discovered their clout in sheer numbers and the power of their new way of thinking\u2014at The Chicago School and in the world at large.<\/p>\n

Millennial values<\/h3>\n

Every age group has its seminal events, incidents, or eras that give shape to attitudes that characterize the generation. Millennials spent their early years listening to stories about World War II, Vietnam, and the Kennedy assassination\u00a0but, for them, growing up in the shadow<\/a> of 9\/11 is what colors their view of the world.<\/p>\n

Dr. Eleazar Eusebio, associate professor of school psychology at The Chicago School\u2019s Chicago Campus, attributes much of the Millennial value system to the impact made by the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the terrorist activity that has followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey see this as a great social injustice,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s as if this is the planet they inherited and they have to better it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Millennials are certainly in a position to make a splash that cannot go unnoticed; at 75.4 million strong, they have eclipsed<\/a> the Baby Boomers (currently counted at 74.9 million, according to the Pew Research Center) as the largest generation in American history.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Millennial voters demonstrated that mindset<\/a> in 2016’s Democratic Presidential Primary by calling attention to such issues as climate change, student loan debt, and the need for a higher minimum wage. This generation has also revived some of the civil rights values of their Baby Boomer grandparents by calling attention to social justice issues through such movements as Black Lives Matter<\/a> and Occupy Wall Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis generation has had a tremendous impact in upholding everything from gay and lesbian rights to gender identity to ethnic diversity,\u201d adds Dr. Eusebio. \u201cThey grew up with an understanding of diverse and multicultural issues\u2014one that previous generations did not have the privilege and\u00a0responsibility to defend to the same extent\u2014and that plays a critical role in their view of the civil rights that affect marginalized populations.”<\/p>\n

Millennials are certainly in a position to make a splash that cannot go unnoticed; at 75.4 million strong, they have eclipsed<\/a> the Baby Boomers (currently counted at 74.9 million, according to the Pew Research Center) as the largest generation in American history.<\/p>\n

The influence they wield, by virtue of their sheer numbers and their new ways of thinking and conducting daily business, is vast. And despite all the hand-wringing and prognosticating, they don\u2019t seem at all troubled by the sometimes\u00a0disparaging labels put upon them.<\/p>\n

Mara Justice, a 27-year-old Clinical Forensic Psy.D.<\/a> student at the Los Angeles Campus, says while she is not fond of generalizations, she does see that her generation is ready to make a lasting mark on society.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am optimistic about the future. I feel like I have just begun and there is\u00a0so much more to do,\u201d says Justice, who is currently completing a practicum<\/a> at the Orange County Jail Mental Health Center. \u201cI know there are stereotypes out there that are not always favorable, but I feel that this generation will make some good strides toward making the world a better place for all people.\u201d<\/p>\n

As McMullen says, this is a proud and hopeful generation. They embrace diversity of all kinds and define themselves on their own terms.\u00a0The Millennial effect is real. From The Chicago School to the world at large, they will continue to influence how we navigate life and work in a\u00a0constantly changing society.<\/p>\n

\n

Are you ready to take the next step?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you would to learn more about programs at The Chicago School, fill out the form below for more information. You can also apply today through our application portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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