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NEWS & EVENTS

Alumni Spotlight

Did you know there are 26,000 AHSS alumni? Find out what your former classmates are up

to. Contact us if you'd like to nominate yourself or a fellow Pioneer to be profiled in our

alumni spotlight.

PSYCHOLOGY ALUM'S CAREER IN CHILDCARE SERVICES COMES FULL CIRCLE

Margot Lacey (BA '77, psychology) began her

years at the University of Denver on her 18th

birthday: a day that remains an enduring

memory of a college experience where she

made lifelong friends, met her future husband

and was set on an academic path that has led to

a lifelong career in psychology.

She is now director of psychology for the

Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA), a

multicultural non-profit that serves

underprivileged and underrepresented youth of New York. Lacey oversees the mental

health services, residential diagnostic center and recruitment of PhD/PsyD students to

intern at the agency. She also maintains a private psychology practice.

"I love being a psychologist, and feel lucky to be part of a profession that helps people. I

also experience great pride in my private practice, working with people from all walks of

life. Touching people's lives and seeing them grow and change is so rewarding," Lacey

said.

Lacey's journey to Colorado began with a visit to DU, where she was "very impressed with

the beauty and size of the campus, perfect for someone from a small village in western

New York," she said.

She made many new friends on her first day, including her husband John. "I watched a

young man play football under my window, and ended up marrying him!" John Lacey (BA

'75, mass communication) went on to become a producer in advertising.

Lacey loved the intimate atmosphere of DU, working in small groups with fellow students

and teachers. "My psychology professors were outstanding and inspired me. They were

erudite yet made learning fun and interesting, and were excellent role models," she said.

Upon leaving DU, Lacey earned a masters' degree in counseling at New York University.

Afterward, she went on to become a psychology intern as part of a doctoral training

program (she concurrently earned her doctorate at Pace University in New York) at the

JCCA. Lacey was hired full time upon completion of her internship and has been with the

agency ever since working in the foster care and residential treatment facilities.

Promotions over the years have led to her current position as director of psychology.

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The JCCA attracts doctoral level students in the field from across the country, and this

year, Lacey returned to DU to recruit and interview PhD and PsyD students to intern at

the JCCA for one-year clinical internships (she typically gets over 150 applicants for six

spots).

"I have had the privilege of training doctoral level psychology students for all these years,

and truly enjoy it," Lacey said. "Working with this population has deeply impacted me.

There is truly no better way to give back."

Lacey was able to accept one DU student into the internship program this fall. "Visiting

DU and having a role at my agency given to a student from my alma mater felt like coming

full circle," she said.

Lacey is proud to be a DU alumna, and even more so of her family legacy. Her daughter,

Danielle, is a junior at DU majoring in psychology, and many other family members have

attended as well.

"I am so proud to have Danielle at DU to carry on our family tradition," she said. "It's a

pleasure to give back to my school, and I feel grateful to have attended a university

which has influenced my life on such a deeply personal and professional level."

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