They/them/theirs

Candice N. Moran, Psy.D., is a queer, nonbinary, single mom of twins, who serves as health services psychologist with Counseling and Educational Support Services at KU Medical Center. Dr. Moran also serves as co-facilitator of PRISM, an affinity group at KU Medical Center that brings together faculty, staff and students to advocate for LGBTQIA+ individuals through goals including enhanced visibility, allyship and empowering conversations. 

Prior to joining medical center staff, they worked for nine years at the University of Central Missouri, providing individual, couples and group therapy to UCM students and providing campus and community-wide consultation and training on LGBTQIA+ individuals, allyship and creating inclusive environments as the coordinator of the Safe Zone program. 

Where did you grow up, and where did you attend college?   

I grew up in Kirksville, Missouri, as the oldest of two children. I got my undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. I earned my master's degree and doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a focus on sexuality and gender. I completed my doctoral internship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill working in the counseling center and the LGBTQ+ Center. 

What about your first-generation experience resonates with you? 

I was a first-generation student who was encouraged by my family to go to college, and while they were emotionally supportive of that journey, I felt very alone in a lot of ways. I did not have family members to guide me or walk me through the process, as they did not know what to do or what to expect. I was experiencing things that my parents and other family members had no frame of reference to be able to understand. I didn't find out until my last year as an undergrad that there were resources specifically available for first-gen students (I didn't even know to look/where to look).

Things have changed a lot in the world since I started college, and being able to have people to help support and guide students through the process is amazing. I hold to the phrase "you can't be what you can't see" and know that having mentors and others to show you the way and what is possible is so important. I'm resourceful and driven, and those are things that have served me well in this process, and we can continue to look back and continue to offer hands and support to those who come after us to help us all as a whole rise. 

What made you choose to join KU Medical Center? 

It was important to me to be able to support students through their educational journeys who often don't see themselves represented in the field. Our health care professions need to reflect our populations in order to try to provide equitable, responsive, and nuanced care. As someone who has received support on my journey, I know how critical it can be to someone's ability to persist and succeed.