Herron ’21 Plans Career Serving Autistic Community

By Caitlin Burns | May 18, 2021

 

When Northeast Philadelphia resident and Psychology major Meghan Herron ’21 enrolled as a pre-physical therapy student, anatomy was a course she had to take—but she hated it. She’d dreamed of being a physical therapist since the eighth grade, but this course affirmed for her that it was not the right career path.

“I was so anxious and nervous about dropping it, and I felt like I was giving up,” said Herron. “But it wasn’t giving up—it was finding my way and helping me discover my passion of working with autistic students.”

After an injury to her knee as a child, Herron spent time each week in physical therapy. As a young teenager, she decided she wanted to be a physical therapist after so many positive interactions with therapists.

“I kept going back and forth, and I couldn’t decide on changing my major,” said Herron. “It was a hard time, but my heart knew what my path was supposed to be.”

She describes her sophomore year as a “time with a lot of tears.” However, after spending time with her brother and babysitting a neighbor’s daughter, both who are on the autism spectrum, she realized that a psychology degree with an applied behavior analysis concentration was the perfect fit.

Next year, Herron will attend Temple University for her master degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. She hopes to one day work in a clinical setting to assist children with autism through behavioral therapy techniques for daily life.