Persistence meets purpose: Madeleine Froehlich's journey to graduate studies

Persistence paid off for Madeleine Froehlich, who always knew she wanted to be a psychologist, but took some detours on her way to becoming a graduate student at the University of Lethbridge. Now thriving in the Master of Education Counselling Psychology program, Froehlich's research centres on early-career teachers in Canada and factors that can lead to burnout.

"Madeleine is one of the warmest, most intellectually curious and worldly individuals I have ever had the pleasure to teach," says Dr. Thelma Gunn, Professor in the Faculty of Education. "I am certain her research will be impactful in the lives of beginning teachers."

Meet Madeleine: Madeleine Froehlich (she/her)
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Program: MEd Counselling Psychology

What are three unique things about yourself?

1. I grew up on a farm in southern Saskatchewan, but now reside in Edmonton with my partner and our blended home of three cats.
2. I have had the great joy of travelling to 23 countries and counting.
3. In my spare time, I consume an incredible abundance of media (books, music, TV series, movies). I love discovering new things, variety is the spice of life!

What did the road to becoming a graduate student look like for you?

I have had a bit of a meandering career so far! At first, I was all about growing professionally by gaining experience in the mental health field, and then it was all about getting into graduate school. After applying twice and not getting into any counselling programs, I recognized that I needed to do some upgrading and seek out research and practical opportunities to improve my CV. Oh, and I guess a small pandemic happened, too!

I have been able to wear multiple hats between my undergraduate degree and starting graduate studies. Retrospectively, I am very grateful that I did not get into graduate school right away. Working in multiple non-profit and social support settings increased my awareness of the systems many people are trying to navigate and how to collaborate with others.

I hope to use the skills and knowledge imbued by this experience as a foundation for my future work. By working in this field, you agree to be a lifelong learner. So, I look forward to continuing to grow and develop as a future professional!

Tell us about your research! What does it focus on and how did you become interested in this topic?

I am currently completing a mixed-methods thesis examining how Canadian beginning teachers cope with occupational stress, and how these coping strategies relate to resilience, burnout and intentions to leave the profession. Through both survey data and open-ended questions, I explored not only the coping strategies teachers use, their levels of resilience, burnout and intention to leave, but also the systemic barriers that currently affect these well-being factors.

My interest in this topic grew out of my training in counselling psychology and my previous experiences working with youth. I witnessed how deeply committed educators often were, even as they were stretched to their limits. Influenced by complexity theory, I became curious about how systemic factors interact with individual factors and may contribute to early career teacher attrition. I was particularly concerned about student impact, as teacher burnout and turnover often impact students already facing existing barriers the most.

What is the most important lesson you have learned during your time as a graduate student at ULethbridge?

Because I didn't do as well in undergrad and struggled a bit to get into graduate school, I wasn't sure how it would go. However, I quickly realized that I did belong in the program and that I am academically inclined; it just took me a minute to get to where I needed to be! So, the growth in my academic self-efficacy has been the most valuable lesson I have learned.

Is there someone specific who had an important influence on your ULethbridge experience?

My incredibly supportive supervisor, Dr. Thelma Gunn, has been instrumental in giving me the opportunity to figure out this research thing. It took me a minute to figure out what I was doing, but she allowed me to take the time I needed to make the best decision for myself. I will also say that I was incredibly fortunate to have the cohort that I did. So much of my learning came from bouncing ideas off my peers, and I am grateful for the friendships that I have made! It is nice to enter a field with a network of peers that you trust and feel connected to.

What piece of advice would you give to future graduate students in the Faculty of Education? 

A lot of graduate work is independent (i.e., isolating). I would highly recommend focusing on building relationships and having a laugh. Not only does it make the process a lot more fun, but receiving emotional support is invaluable.