WKU News

“I want to dedicate my career to early intervention in childhood, so I can help children who have been through traumatic experiences and mental health struggles come out on the other side of it as healthy, loving, productive members of society,” said Marleigh Solomon, a graduating senior from Benton. 

A Psychology major, Solomon spent her years at WKU growing as a leader and building her knowledge to support children with developmental and behavioral challenges.

“I have spent my entire life watching close relatives battle mental health issues. I have seen the way it affected them, and I have felt the way it affected me. Mental health problems can ruin lives and families. I have witnessed this within my own. This experience is especially hard on children and adolescents.”

The human brain and mental health have always interested Solomon, who chose to pursue a degree in Psychology after taking a class in high school. “After taking that class and learning more about the potential career paths a Psychology degree offers, I officially settled on it,” she said.

Looking to complement her academic experiences with related job and organizational experiences, Solomon works as a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) and became actively involved in Midnight on the Hill through her sorority. 

“I have worked as an RBT at Crunchtime Children’s Development Center since May, after interning for them throughout the 2025 spring semester,” Solomon said. She implements Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy with children who have developmental and behavioral challenges. 

“This role has allowed me to apply concepts I’ve learned in my classes, especially my child development and behavior modification classes. I’ve also learned a lot about burnout and compassion fatigue in my psychology classes, which has been so helpful to me not only as a worker but also as a student.” 

Midnight on the Hill is a student organization that fundraises for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Solomon has worked on the executive board as a fundraising chair for the past two years. 

“I have worked with children in different capacities throughout college and plan to continue working with them in my career. Children hold such a special place in my heart, and my experience within Midnight on the Hill has only deepened my passion to help children.”

Solomon became involved in Midnight on the Hill through members of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta.
Within her sorority, Solomon held the positions of director, chair and more. “I have had the chance to be a role model to other members, grow as a leader and improve our chapter in the past three and a half years. Alpha Gam has shaped my experience at WKU and has helped make me into the person I am today.”

Solomon completed intern hours in her program through observing Dr. Rick Grieve, a local clinician and WKU professor. “I’ve had the opportunity to observe several ADHD and IQ assessments, as well as therapy sessions,” Solomon said. “Along with that, my classes and professors have helped me feel very prepared to continue my education in psychology. Specifically, my Introduction to Clinical and School Psychology and Critical Thinking About Psychology courses really stand out to me as helpful, informative courses. My organizational involvement has pushed me out of my comfort zone to become a confident leader and learn how to network on and off campus.”

Dr. Grieve said, “I believe being exposed to what happens in both therapy and assessment has helped Marleigh understand what goes into these experiences so that she will not be surprised when she gets to graduate school and the faculty there ask her to perform such tasks. I think she can draw on her experiences here to help be successful in a graduate program.”

He added that after sessions they discuss what happened, and Marleigh asks good questions to demonstrate her understanding and the extent of her knowledge. “I have not had any other student who was as intellectually active in the sessions as Marleigh,” Dr. Grieve said.

What started as a young woman wanting to embark on a journey to become more equipped to help others with their mental health has led to a college graduate prepared to walk into the field of her dreams.

“I wanted to get out of my bubble and experience living in a new city with new people, while still attending a college with a smaller, walkable campus where you can really get to know people. Not to mention that WKU has the most beautiful campus in the state.”

Solomon will graduate Summa Cum Laude from WKU on December 12 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She plans to continue her education in Psychology and work as a child clinical psychologist in her future career.