The Power of Persistence: Alzena Ilie’s Story

“Inside Clinical” Series

By Ella Muraca and Dr. John Lee, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology (University of Waterloo)

With Alzena Ilie, fourth-year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University

Meet Alzena

Our most recent guest on the Inside Clinical Series is Alzena Ilie, a fourth year Clinical Psychology PhD student at Dalhousie University. Alzena’s research interests lie in pediatric insomnia, co-occurring sleep disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders, and healthcare provider education. 

Clinically, Alzena primarily does assessments and intervention with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders, depression, and trauma. Beyond her research and clinical practice, she is involved in teaching, mentorship, and advocacy, serving as the Chair of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Section for Students. 

What stands out about Alzena’s story is not just where she is today as a researcher, clinician, educator, and leader, but the qualities that got her there: grit, resilience, and a strong passion for the study of psychology. 

Navigating Early Challenges 

When Alzena first started her undergraduate degree at Dalhousie, she was just seventeen, living away from home for the first time, and trying to figure out who she was, what she valued, and what she wanted her future to look like. Her first and second years of her Bachelor’s degree were marked by lower grades and uncertainty of what path she wanted to take. Despite these challenges, psychology courses were the one area she felt passionately about and consistently excelled in.

“My grades weren't really great first year… I wasn't really focused so much on school at the time. I wasn't giving it the attention it needed. And I was also dealing with my own challenges in my personal life.”

Between her first and second year, she worked as a research assistant on a systematic review project. This experience helped her discover her love of research, and even led to a co-authored publication early in her degree. Even with these accomplishments, her grades still weren't where she wanted them to be. However, a meeting with her academic advisor was her turning point, one that she can trace back to a letter she had written. 

“The letter I wrote is in my inbox. I just read it a couple months ago and back in 2018, I wrote how I wanted to be a psychologist and a clinician. And it’s so interesting to me because at the time, I didn’t really know what that entailed and it wasn’t my path at the time.” 

Motivated by the meeting with her academic advisor, Alzena asked herself what she wanted to do and how she could pursue her degree to the fullest extent. So over the next three years, she worked extremely hard, bringing her grades back up to a 4.0, while taking on more responsibility and research opportunities. When she later applied for the Canadian Graduate Research Scholarship at the Doctoral level (CGS-D), one of her reviewers specifically highlighted this upward trajectory as a strength, noting the resilience and sustained effort it reflected.

“They saw the jump in my grades, which showed that I have resiliency and grit. If you can turn that around and make it a strength, I think that’s key.”

Leadership and Advocacy

When Alzena was applying for her PhD, she had limited mentorship to guide her through the process. Aside from her honours supervisor and previous professor, much of the application journey was something she had to navigate on her own. That experience shaped her commitment to creating accessible pathways for students entering the field of psychology. 

“There are so many misconceptions about the field. A lot of the information is gatekept.”

Her commitment to accessibility and transparency is evident in her leadership roles: first as co-president of Dalhousie’s undergraduate psychology society, to leading the CPA Mentorship program, and now as the Chair of the CPA Section for Students. In this role, she oversees the CPA mentorship program, JEDI program, newsletters, and programming for the convention. 

“It's our responsibility when we've gotten here, whether we're a clinical psychologist or in grad school, to share this information with others and to get rid of these barriers to accessibility, especially for students that are coming from first generation student backgrounds or marginalized populations.”

If you are a psychology student feeling unsure about your path or overwhelmed by the application process, she strongly recommends the CPA Mentorship Program. 

“It’s one of the best ways to get connected with a mentor. You can specify exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s course help, career help, or application support — and then get matched with someone based on those interests and needs.”

What Graduate School Looks Like

In her current stage of graduate training, Alzena’s weeks are a combination of research, clinical work, teaching, and leadership. 

She is working on the ethics submission for her third dissertation study, while also supervising an honours student whose project overlaps with her own research. A large portion of her week is dedicated to clinical work at the IWK, where she provides assessment and intervention services to children and adolescents. 

Teaching is another significant part of her graduate experience. She instructs an undergraduate honours class and works as a teaching assistant in Dalhousie’s first-year clinical psychology child assessment lab. Alongside her academic and clinical responsibilities, she attends regular CPA meetings. And despite a packed schedule, she continues to teach piano, which is something she has done for more than a decade. 

Her workload reflects the reality of clinical psychology training: a demanding but meaningful combination of research, clinical practice, teaching, and leadership. And you may ask how she balances all of these responsibilities, without burning out. What’s important to understand is this did not come naturally, especially after the difficulties she faced in her early undergraduate years. It took time and practice for her to find a way to balance her conflicting priorities. 

“My biggest lesson for this is knowing what to prioritize. That has been the biggest success for me in all of this.” 

Advice for Students 

For students who are passionate about pursuing a career in clinical psychology, Alzena’s journey is a reminder that it’s okay if the start to your journey was far from perfect, what matters is your growth and perseverance. Here are some of her key messages:

1. Be honest about your journey: If there’s an obstacle or challenges you faced in the past, be upfront about it. Acknowledge it and explain how it shaped you into who you are now. 

2. Early grades don’t define you: Don’t get discouraged by early grades, committees recognize upward trends and value resilience. 

3. Build meaningful connections: Talk to your professors in class, answer questions, go to office hours. Join professional associations, like the CPA to meet mentors and connect with peers. 

4. Practice, practice, practice: Prepare for interviews by practicing common questions with family, friends, or peers. Simulate stress to see how you respond, but remember, be your most authentic self and showcase your interpersonal skills- smile, maybe even crack a joke. 

5. Graduate school is demanding: It is manageable when you find strategies that work best for you. For example, time blocking and choosing opportunities that align with your values. 

Final Thoughts: Staying True to Yourself 

Alzena shared one of the lessons she believes matters most, something that goes far beyond GPA, publications, or extensive experience: the ability to communicate. She explained that clinical psychology isn’t just about what you know, but how well you can connect with the person sitting across from you.

“One of the key skills in this degree is being a good communicator. At the end of the day, if you are giving someone a diagnosis or working with someone that’s gone through a really tough time, they are not going to care about the fancy words, terminology you can use, or the letters beside the name. They’re going to care about what they can understand from you and what they are taking away from that session.” 

When Alzena was asked about one takeaway she hopes future applicants can hold onto, she didn’t hesitate. In a field where people are at their most vulnerable, what matters most is being your most authentic self, whether it is in the research you are conducting or the clients you work with in your clinical practice. 

“You need to stay true to yourself and your values throughout the program. It will show in your research, in the work you do with clients, and in who you are in the world.