Hey everyone! I’m the current intern at MTCCA, wrapping up my fourth week and about a month and a half into San Diego life. Since this is one of the first of many blog posts, let me tell you a bit about myself and how I got here.
I’m from Aberdeen, South Dakota–born and raised, with a population of about 27,857. For perspective, San Diego county is about 103x that size! In other words, the whole county of my hometown spans 16.65 square miles and San Diego county spans roughly 1,000 square miles.
I did my undergrad at Northern State University (right there in Aberdeen) in music performance and psychology. Halfway through, in 2022, I Googled “what can I do with a BA in music?” and music therapy popped up as a bullet point. I’d never heard of it before, but after a quick dive, I was immediately on board.
I found a master’s equivalency program at the University of Iowa–nine hour drive from home, but the closest option. Music therapy isn’t offered anywhere in South Dakota, so moving was inevitable. Which honestly wasn’t a bad thing as I’d always had an itch to go somewhere completely new-far from my tiny Midwest hometown.
The equivalency program flew by (only 4 semesters) and it really throws you right into it. New city, new people, new field, new experiences, new everything. But I met people that I now can’t imagine not having in my life. Not only did I gain coursework and clinical experience, but I made connections that’ll last a lifetime. I’m so grateful for what the University of Iowa brought me and the path it put me on.
Friends from the Iowa music therapy program
During the master’s program, I dove into research on music therapy and pain management for adolescents undergoing spinal fusion surgery—a surgery I went through myself in 2019. I had no idea what I was getting into at first, and yes, it was stressful, but definitely worth it. That personal experience of the pain, limited movement, and loss of independence is a big part of my “why”. The study is still in its final stages of data collection and analysis, which I hope to publish in a professional music therapy journal in the future! The Iowa graduate college wrote an article that goes into more detail if you want to check it out!
Presenting my research poster at the Midwest Regional Conference
(virtual) in Iowa
Daily Iowan newspaper article, written by Ethan McLaughlin
Moving along from Iowa, I like to embrace change and try new things, so I looked for internships with variety. I wanted each day to look a little different, with multiple populations and settings, etc. That’s exactly what MTCCA offers and more! So when I got accepted, I was so excited and needed no time to make my decision—MTCCA was the perfect place for me.
My boyfriend Luke and I met during undergrad in the Midwest but he’s originally from the San Diego area. We did long distance for about two years while I finished my master’s in Iowa. So when I was applying for internships, I may or may not have focused on San Diego (:
Luke and I eating downtown
My first trip to SD and the first picture I took on my digital camera—La Jolla Shores 🙂
Moving out here was an adventure in itself. My parents helped load up their suburban and my camry–literally to the brim, but no U-Haul needed! I Facebook-marketed most of my furniture once I got here.
I’m a big fan of reusing and reducing and personally believe that second-hand items are often more unique and better quality than new stuff anyway.
I got this side table for $30—such a steal!
The drive took 24 ½ hours, which we somehow did in two days! My dad drove ten hours straight, slept six, then another fourteen…aboslute MVP! My mom and I switched off throughout the drive. We drove through 5 states on the way and passed so many incredible views, especially when we hit the southwest part of Wyoming and Utah.
Beautiful sunset hitting the mountains in Utah
Catalina Highway!! My first time driving through
My cat Zera slept in my lap or found a random spot on top of everything for most of the drive and handled it like a champ. She’s officially a west coast girlie now. She loves the outdoors–walks, sun bathing, rolling on concrete, grass, dirt, sand. I can’t wait to try and take her to the beach!
Zera and I walking on a trail
Zera on the dashboard as we’re entering San Diego
Another one of Zera’s favorite car spots
I swear she’s part dog *laughing emoji*
I’m so excited and grateful to be here. Learning from the professionals at MTCCA, experiencing life somewhere new and so close to the ocean, and being welcomed by an amazing team. Only four weeks in, and I already feel like I’m exactly where I need to be.
My two older brothers, me, and my parents at my undergraduate graduation
My younger sister and I at her technical school graduation And that’s me!
-Jayda Hunstad, MTI
#internship #musictherapy #research #newtoSD #learning #bigmove #midwesttosandiego
On day two of my internship, I got to participate in a professional lecture where I learned from Kendra Nicole Petersen, a child and family occupational therapist, parenting coach, and founder of “Authentic Kids Therapy”. She talked about “The Feel to Learn Process” she created, and honestly, it was such an eye-opening lecture. I’ll be thinking about and applying her approach in future sessions with clients and even in daily life too–especially her core reminder: