I interviewed Dr. Michael LaRocca, who is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Assistant Professor at Virginia Military Institute, and a U.S. Army veteran. Michael shares his path to studying psychology through his time in the US Army. He talks about the power of leadership and resilience in the military and how that led him to teaching psychology and leadership courses. He states "My time in the U.S. Army led me to psychology when seeing the power of support, resilience, and the mind. I wanted to help people with understanding the power of the mind." Michael deeply cares about self-directed learning and making curriculum meaningful to his students. He talks about the organic nature of discussions in his class that emerge from students connecting lessons to their own lives. He shares "Students enjoy a question that does not have a simple answer." Michael is providing valuable lessons to young adults

Michael LaRocca’s LinkedIn

Other Quotes

“In terms of teaching, it is always a work in progress.”

"Questions can force us to be humble and be in the moment when we don’t have the answer.”

“I was awakened to the stressors and impact on people particularly in combat. It illuminated how people can be impacted by PTSD and depression.”