As one of Sierra Canyon's earliest graduating classes, the Class of 2012 helped shape what this school would become — and Lilly Parks '12 is a shining example of that legacy. After studying at the University of Wyoming and UC San Diego, Lilly now runs her own clinical psychology practice. We asked her to share her journey — in her own words.
Background and Education
I first started at Sierra Canyon in 5th Grade at the Lower Campus and continued through 12th Grade, graduating in 2012. I was part of the first class to attend our full high school career on the Upper Campus, so starting as a freshman, everything was fresh and brand new. I loved the community of the School at the time; all the classes above me had attended the temporary campus, so they had a very tight-knit community that made it feel as though we were entering a previously established family. Faculty, staff, and students alike were all just beginning to figure out a routine (I think I watched us go through 5 different iterations of attendance-taking methods before we found one that stuck), and this again fostered a sense of community and closeness across educators and students.
Some of my favorite memories at Sierra Canyon include X-Night, starting the Sierra Canyon swim team, our senior trip to Oahu, the East Coast college tour, Peak Week, and feeling as though I was participating in the beginning of something that would become much bigger than us. Seeing how much the School has grown since I graduated, I know that to be true!
I thought I would have a much different career path before graduating from Sierra Canyon, so I didn’t realize in the moment that certain classes and faculty would make such an impact on my journey until I was well on my way. Looking back, a class that really sparked my interest in psychology was a social psychology class that I took my senior year. It was just one semester, but it got me to start thinking about human interaction and the choices that we make based on the influence of peers and society. The human mind is fascinating! I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the impact that the English department had on me. I've had to complete so much academic writing throughout my career, and I attribute my capabilities to the humbling and empowering teachings of the faculty at Sierra Canyon.
After I graduated in 2012, I spent my freshman year at the University of Wyoming with a swimming scholarship. It was only November by the time I realized I had made a grave error and needed to transfer to a different university. This is something that I find critical to impart to anyone feeling the pull to get out and try something different: DO IT. If something is not giving back to you, you do not have to stay that course just because you thought it was right at one point. A silver lining from my freshman year is my passion for psychology; I went to therapy for the first time, and it absolutely changed my life. I knew I wanted to be able to do for others what had been done for me, so I changed course and set my sights on a psychology major at UC San Diego.
UC San Diego was the best place for me. I was able to pursue my passion for psychology, with an emphasis in developmental psychology, continue swimming in a more positive environment, and forge relationships that still enrich my life to this day.
Career and Achievements
While I knew I loved working with kids after spending so many years at Sierra Canyon Day Camp, I wasn't sure exactly what to do with that. I think, especially in such an academically rigorous environment as Sierra Canyon, there is often an unspoken pressure to know exactly what you're going to do with your life at the ripe age of 17/18 years old. It sounds corny to say, but life is truly full of so many twists and turns, and you must be willing to ride that wave to see where it takes you. It's okay to not know what you are going to do with your life – you will find it along the way.
A twist that took me in an unanticipated direction was another experience with mental health difficulties toward the end of my swimming career, which prompted me to end said career earlier than I had wanted. While it felt like the end of the world in the moment, it forced me to explore my values, my identity, and my field far deeper than I had before. Stepping back from swimming also allowed me to dive into the field of education, and I ended up minoring in education studies at UCSD. This set me on the path to work with specific mentors who challenged me to dig deeper and pursue continued education after my undergraduate career. I attribute where I am today to those mentors and who they saw in me when I was at my lowest point.
After I graduated, I still had no idea what to do with my degree. Unfortunately, you can't do much with a BS in Psychology without going back to school for another degree. I wanted some time to live my life and figure out where to go next. I was lucky enough to get a position at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center as a research assistant, where we conducted neuroimaging studies on individuals struggling with disordered eating behaviors. I was there for 2 years before deciding that I wanted to be on the clinical side of psychology, and I went back to school and earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from Alliant International University, San Diego.
Two things stand out as career accomplishments for me. First, I only had one semester of my doctoral studies completed before the world shut down in 2020. Everyone was in a crisis and so many people told me, "thank goodness, we need more mental health providers right now." That was SO MUCH pressure to endure as a "baby therapist" who had no idea what she was doing. I feel that learning how to be a therapist via teletherapy allowed me to adapt well to unforeseen situations, so I'm very proud of the way I was able to adapt to not only teletherapy but also to being an in-person therapist once restrictions were lifted.
A more recent accomplishment has been my leap into starting my own private practice. I completed my postdoctoral training, finished my requirements for licensure, and then immediately started my own business. This has been such a terrifying and exciting experience, and I'm proud of myself for taking a leap of faith. I would be nowhere without my support system, so I feel very lucky and privileged to be able to venture out on my own.
I do feel that Sierra Canyon played a role in my overall career successes. Anyone who has gone to Sierra Canyon knows that the expectations on you are no joke. It's a highly academically rigorous school, and nobody who goes there is just a student. I was a student athlete, which came with its own complexities and expectations. I feel that learning to juggle many responsibilities, wear countless different hats, and still find time to get enough sleep at night (usually) set me up for the rigor of my doctoral pursuits. Life is all about striking balance, and nobody is going to hold your hand and do it for you. As much as I was highly supported at Sierra Canyon, it was up to me to do what I needed to do to succeed – that certainly set me up for being a small business owner.
Personal Insights and Advice
To anyone looking to pursue a career in psychology, I highly recommend it. Know that if you want to work with clients, you will need more than an undergraduate degree, so it will take a little bit of time to get to where you want to be. To me, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to support other humans who are just trying to figure it all out. My best advice would be to follow where your heart is pulling you – if you feel a pull toward working with a certain population, follow that pull. Remember that resistance is what this work is about, and you must enter where you fear to tread. Showing up in therapy as your authentic (professional) self takes a lot of inner work, where you will have to face demons you didn't know were there. That may be one of the hardest aspects of this work: facing the parts of yourself that are not fully healed and may still be hurting from your own past. Trust me when I say it's all worth it; I have found so much peace in this profession, no matter how hard the work may be some days.
Finding balance with this career is critical; you cannot take your work home with you. Creating either a physical or mental separation between yourself and your work is the only way you can survive the darker sides of the human psyche. I learned this early on in my training when I was working at a crisis center in San Diego. I would leave the crisis center at 11:30 p.m. after hearing some of the darkest stories I had ever heard in my privileged little life and sit in my car and just cry. I had a conversation with myself one night on my drive home: I had a sleeping husband and puppy I was coming home to, and it was not fair to them to enter that space with the darkness I had seen at work. I remember that moment often because you can care, but you cannot carry others. The goal is to care enough that others can carry themselves. So: work is work, and home is home. I try my best to engage in activities that "fill my cup," so to say, when work is sometimes draining.
Personal
Outside of work, I love going to concerts and festivals to experience live music. I've found a wonderful community in my music-going friends, so going to events with them gives me the opportunity to feel my happiest with people I love!
Ever since stepping away from competitive swimming at the beginning of my senior year of college, I’ve had the opportunity to explore parts of my identity other than “athlete,” and this has been such a great experience. I learned that I love to travel, I love to dance (horribly, I might add), I love to paint, and I love to engage in athletic pursuits for the sake of joy rather than competition. It took me 8 years to heal my relationship with swimming, but I'm finally back in the pool, and swimming just for the fun of it with no expectations or strings attached. I think college swimming took the fun out of it, so reminding myself of what it's like to swim with joy has been beautiful. Two years ago, my best friend asked me if I wanted to sign up for a 70.3 Ironman that was just 5 months away, to which some insane part of me responded, "absolutely." I didn't even know how to ride a road bike at the time, and I hated running with a passion. I have since successfully completed two 70.3 Ironman races and intend to compete in another one this year! It's all been for the sake of fun, and it has reminded me that while being an athlete is no longer the most important part of my identity, it's something that will always be there.
Alumni Community
To all my fellow alums out there, I hope you're living your best lives in these uncertain times, finding moments of joy, and being your truest selves. Sending all my love. Personal contact is [email protected]
If you know a teen or young adult who is struggling with mental health difficulties, I specialize in eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and self-harm, and would be happy to either provide support or referrals to other providers. Work contact is
(619) 333-0644
Click here to see Lilly in action from Sierra Canyon Swimming to the Ironman Triathlon!
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