Our Story
Over our decades as practicing psychologists working with students and their families, we came to appreciate that one of the most critical developmental junctures is the transition from high school to college. Through our students’ concerns, we became increasingly aware that there is so much emphasis on getting into college, but not enough on how to thrive once there. We found that once admitted to college, students are excited, full of questions, and worried about next steps.
So, we did the research. We found that our students were not alone in their concerns. A review of the literature confirms that 77% of college students report some form of psychological distress, and 60% of first year students report wishing that they had been better prepared socially and emotionally. The good news is that those who are better socially and emotionally prepared report a better first-year experience and greater academic success.
We created Psycollegey Advantage to address the existing gap in social and emotional preparedness. Combining our clinical expertise with the current research on emerging adulthood and the best indices of college satisfaction, we created an evidence-based curriculum focused on the topics that are most relevant to building the foundations for first-year success. Because optimal learning takes place by doing, we developed our curriculum to be interactive, keeping students engaged through online quizzes, role plays, and personalized reflections. We even incorporated smartphones into our curriculum design so that students can keep photos of key takeaways or reminders of coping strategies easily accessible in their camera roll.
And the good news is that 95% of students who have participated in Psycollegey Advantage would recommend the program to a friend!
We believe that college is a gift, a time of exploration and expansion. Of making new friends, leaning into new and sometimes uncomfortable experiences, and building competencies and self-confidence. We founded Psycollegey Advantage because we know that being better prepared to face social and emotional challenges will empower students to take full advantage of that gift. Our ultimate goal is for our students to look forward to college with an openness and excitement, and in the end, to look back on their college experience with a great sense of accomplishment.
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Meet Meghan Pugach, Ph.D.
Dr. Meghan Pugach is a counseling psychologist who has worked with adolescents and young adults in school, home, community mental health, and private practice settings over the past 18 years. She has provided consultation to schools and colleges, guidance to parents, and group and individual psychotherapy to students in all aspects of the college transition.
While an instructor in the mental health counseling graduate program at Boston College, Dr. Pugach was the recipient of the Donald J. White Teaching Award, which recognizes excellence in teaching. Dr. Pugach was the first psychologist on staff at Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, where she helped to create and implement a mental health program within the organization. In addition, Dr. Pugach was a supervising psychologist at the Brookline Center where she was regularly sought out to conduct workshops and trainings in the community for the schools, clinicians, and the police.
Dr. Pugach received her master’s and doctorate from Boston College and completed her internship at the Bedford VA Hospital. She looks forward to supporting the next generation of college students through Psycollegey Advantage, where she can blend her years of clinical experience with her passion for teaching and engaging students. At home, the teacher becomes the student, as Dr. Pugach is constantly learning lessons from her opinionated toddler and rambunctious rescue cats, all of whom she loves dearly.
Meet Mariko Sakurai, Ph.D.
Dr. Mariko Sakurai is a clinical psychologist who has worked with adolescents, young adults and their families for over thirty years. She has spent her career in community mental health, private practice and consulting to independent and public schools, as well as supervising doctoral-level psychology students.
Dr. Sakurai has extensive experience in developing social-emotional programming for students. A recipient of major grant awards from the United Way and Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Dr. Sakurai founded an evidence-based group program that went on to serve over 1000 students. The innovative curriculum focused on decreasing relational aggression and fostering secure identity development.
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She earned a master’s and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Boston University. She completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston. Dr. Sakurai is excited to be uniting her passions for mental health and education as co-founder of Psycollegey Advantage.
When not busy in her practice, Dr. Sakurai is an avid reader. One of her favorite books is an anthology from the Moth Radio Hour, a collection of true stories that capture a transformative moment. She believes everyone has a such a story waiting to be told. In founding Psycollegey Advantage, her goal is that each student will look forward with hope and look back with accomplishment.
In addition, Dr. Sakurai has a college age daughter and a dog who wonders why he can’t go to college too.
