See You Soon, Baltimore

Finally, I have finished packing. Now, some shut-eye before I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to catch my 7:00 a.m. flight out of San Francisco International Airport. I'm looking forward to landing in Baltimore for the HIV Research Catalyst Forum tomorrow. This would have been an impossibility had it not been for the generous scholarship awarded by the Committee. Thank you for a week of valuable networking and knowledge. And of course, a week off from grad school is nothing to complain about!

I am finishing my second year of graduate school in clinical psychology, and am on my way to my third year in August. How time flies! The specialty I am most interested in is health psychology (or behavioral medicine). My doctoral dissertation will explore health-related behaviors of gay-identified men who are HIV-positive, and how the experience of sexual minority stress affects overall well-being. I'm quite amazed to see the resilience in the many men I work with at my practicum agencies, Saint Mary's Medical Center and New Leaf: Services for Our Community. I am honored to be able to attend the HRCF, as it will offer much to me in support of my dissertation and future career as a psychologist.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. Good night.

Josh Matacotta