The UW–Madison School of Education offers academic excellence in areas spanning the arts, health, and education. We are a proud community of innovative leaders, creative thinkers, and fearless trailblazers. Our talented students are committed to making their college experience a meaningful journey that aligns with their interests and helps them achieve their future goals.
Following is a Q&A with Isabella Nikolic, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Psychology and graduating in spring 2026.
Where are you from, and how did you become interested in pursuing a degree in this field? I am from Racine, Wisconsin, and I became interested in this degree because it aligned well with my future aspirations to become an occupational therapist. The courses are highly informative, focusing a lot on individuals with disabilities, laws and legislation in place, and how this all connects back to our future professional goals. I started out as a Kinesiology major; however, it did not align with my future goals and just was not a good overall fit for me. Rehab Psychology, however, was right up my alley and I have really enjoyed being a part of this program.
How did you decide that you wanted to become at UW–Madison Badger? My decision to become a Badger was an easy one. Both of my sisters attended UW–Madison for their bachelor’s and master’s degrees, so from early on, I got to see how special this school was. I had the privilege to visit campus all throughout high school, which was really helpful when deciding where I wanted to apply. When applying for colleges, I immediately knew this would be a great fit for me! This feeling was validated the second I started my freshman year and found where I belonged within this community.
What has been your most meaningful experience with the Rehabilitation Psychology program? I think my most meaningful experience through this program would definitely have to be my practicum experiences. In this major, you are required to fulfill a total of six credits of practicum. I split this up between two semesters. My first practicum was through GiGi’s Playhouse, where I got to engage with individuals with Down syndrome. Here, I helped lead social groups where these individuals learned valuable life skills such as cooking meals, social interaction, and physical exercise. My second practicum was at a children’s clinic called Children’s Therapy Network, where I engaged with occupational therapists, physical therapists, music therapists, speech therapists, and many other professionals. I was given the opportunity to shadow and join sessions with children and their families, which left me with valuable skills such as creativity, thinking on my feet, and understanding the impact of therapy on a family. These programs were an amazing experience that I would not have had if it wasn’t for this program, so I am incredibly grateful. I believe (the practicums) greatly impacted my graduate school applications and left me with invaluable knowledge about the skills it takes to become a professional.
What class or professor has had the greatest impact on you, and why? The professor that has had the greatest impact on me is Dr. Garrett Huck. He is not only an exceptional professor, but also an exceptional human. In the first class I ever had with him, he made it abundantly clear that he was there for us. He consistently asked about our lives and future goals, and offered a helping hand. In Dr. Huck’s lectures, he was incredibly knowledgeable about the topics he spoke about and made sure we all understood the material. I cannot stress enough how many doors and ideas he opened up for me. For example, when I was struggling with grad school applications, he offered to have a sit-down meeting with me to talk it through. Another example is when I had a big research paper due and he sat down with me, helped me brainstorm ideas, and edited the entire paper after I wrote it. He goes above and beyond what a professor’s title entails, and I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for me.
What are your future goals or plans? In the future, I plan to become an occupational therapist. After I finish my graduate program and receive my doctorate, I hope to work in either a clinic or a school with children.
Do you have any tips for students thinking about how to maximize their experience? Be intentional, not just busy. It’s easy to get burnt out in college with all the different responsibilities, so I would suggest picking a few things that genuinely interest you and invest time and effort in those. It’s much more rewarding to focus on the same people and build connections. Get to know your professors — they are there to help you. Going to office hours, study groups, or just asking questions in class can open doors to mentors, recommendations, opportunities, and many other things! Get out of your comfort zone! Trying new things helps you discover what you are passionate about. In the same vein, take care of yourself. As important as it is to gain these experiences, your mental and physical health come first. Nothing is more important than that.
Can you tell us about a time when an academic advisor helped you? Sophomore year, I was struggling with the major I had come into college with. I wasn’t enjoying the courses I was enrolled in and was conflicted about what to do. I emailed my advisor and she immediately stepped into action. She set up a Zoom meeting with me over winter break and offered alternative majors that would be valuable to me and my future goals. She talked through each alternative and helped me switch over to a better option. After this, she met with me in-person and helped me build a schedule for each semester for the rest of my undergraduate career. Without her help, I would not have known the Rehab Psych program existed and I would have had to stick with something that I did not enjoy.
Have you participated in any internship/work experience, research, or study abroad program? What did you participate in and could you talk a bit more about those experiences? Gio’s Garden is a respite care facility where volunteers work one-on-one with children ages 1–6 who have a disability. The children are in our care for a few hours a week and get to engage in fun, therapeutic activities. Some of these activities include going on walks, visiting a nearby park, playing with toys, crafts, and so much more! I really enjoyed working here and learning how to navigate one-on-one care with children who have a disability. I was able to gain confidence and understanding of what caretaking entails.
GiGi’s Playhouse is a Down syndrome achievement center for individuals of all ages with Down syndrome. They offer community programs and tutoring all run by volunteers. This center helps individuals work on valuable life skills such as cooking meals, social interactions, living independently, and physical exercise. I absolutely thrived in this environment! Getting to know the families and participants was the best part. I left GiGi’s with lasting friendships and a confidence that really helped me in the future.
Adapted Fitness is an on-campus program that works with individuals of all different abilities from our community. This program aims to help individuals with disabilities work on physical activity and reach goals they set at the beginning of each semester. I have learned valuable skills for occupational therapy such as how to do transfers, work on inclusive movements, set goals, leadership skills, and important training. This is something I suggest you engage in as early as possible!
I have also been a part of research in the Larson Lab on campus for about two years. At the Lab for the Study of Occupation, I engaged in many projects that are directly related to occupational therapy. One project was focused on a specific assessment made for kids to test their fine motor skills. This was really cool to be a part of because I got to learn what these assessments test for and how we can take those results and turn them into action items.