Maggie (Galentine ’22) Kandel Inspires One Student at a Time
April 16, 2026By Fatima Magaña '22
I love being a part of the school community, whether it’s going all-out for spirit days, greeting students in the morning, or just helping wherever I can.
TUSLAW - For Maggie (Galentine ’22) Kandel, her job as a school psychologist is not a job, but rather a passion she hopes continues growing throughout her time in education. Working with students in grades K-4, Kandel has made it her task to instill a love for school in these students through positivity and by taking the time to get to know them individually.
Maggie (Galentine '22) Kandel
“I love working one-on-one with the kiddos; while you can only make standardized academic and cognitive testing so fun, I always try to make our sessions engaging,” said Kandel.
Growing up with parents who were both educators, Kandel knew that her career would lead to education. However, her interest in psychology and her dedication to combining the two fields grew stronger at Mount Union under the guidance of Dr. Melissa Muller, psychology and neuroscience professor.
“I gained one-of-a-kind research experience working with [Dr. Muller] in the Canine Cognition Lab, where we actually researched cats!” Kandel said. “Although, during my psychology internship at Mount, I shadowed a school psychologist, which helped me determine that school psychology was the career for me.”
Like the community she built at Mount Union, Kandel has built strong relationships in her profession, working alongside other school psychologists like Bruce Morckel, and Cari Derheimer (Hussar), director of special education and Mount Union alumna.
Ultimately, I love being the person who can step in, do an evaluation, and get students the support they need to feel confident and successful at school.
Find your passion at Mount Union just like Maggie! Learn more about our Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development.