Victoria Muscatello

As a child, New Jersey native Victoria Muscatello would spend hours watching “Criminal Minds” with her beloved grandfather. It made her dream about one day becoming involved somehow in the world depicted on the TV show so that she could help people by working in a field like victims’ services, family services, assessment or even as an investigator as a means to find closure for those affected by crime.

When her family relocated to Brookfield, Muscatello still wanted to pursue her “Criminal Minds”-inspired dream. Recognizing that the traditional high school environment wasn’t the best fit for her goals, she chose to pursue her GED as an efficient and purposeful path to college. Her clarity and determination paid off — she applied to Western Connecticut State University while completing her GED and officially earned it just a week before starting classes in spring 2022, ready to dive into the next chapter of her academic journey.

“The decision to enroll at WestConn was easy,” Muscatello said. “I had friends and family who had attended, and they enjoyed it. It was close by and it made sense.”

At first, Muscatello tried a few different majors before she found her perfect fit. And while Accounting and Political Science were interesting, she said, she settled on Psychology, which really had always been the end goal. “I only learned about forensic psychology and its intersection with the legal field once I got to WestConn, and that’s why I made the switch,” she said.

Victoria Muscatello with Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Bernard Gee at the Honors Convocation.

Once immersed in her Psychology studies, Muscatello joined the Psych Alliance, where she served as the club secretary and publicity chair. She was inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology; the National Society of Leadership and Success; and Delta Alpha Pi, an academic honor society founded to recognize high-achieving students with disabilities who are attending colleges and universities. She’s been named to the Dean’s List every semester, was named an Outstanding Senior in Psychology at the Honors Convocation and is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.98 overall GPA and a 4.0 major GPA.

Muscatello supplemented her Psychology classes with a handful of Justice and Law Administration classes and a forensics class at University of New Haven. She also works numerous hours as a recovery support specialist at Midwestern Connecticut Council on Alcoholism’s (MCCA) Sunrise Terrace transitional housing facility. She said she got the job at MCCA through a WCSU class. “In Community Psychology, Dr. Nicholas Gallucci coordinated internships, which initially brought me to the Sobering Center, another MCCA location,” she said. “I was hired after a few weeks before moving to Sunrise Terrace in January following the passing of our previous Recovery Support Specialist, Susan Knapp. If I had not been leaving for my Master’s in the fall, this is a job I would easily stay at for the rest of my life; another opportunity that stemmed from being a WCSU student.”

After taking Psych 306 at WestConn last spring with Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Mary Murphy, Muscatello obtained an internship in the Family Services Office at Danbury Superior Court with Murphy’s help. Being in the court system got her one step closer to her “Criminal Minds” goal. Based on her interactions with Murphy, she asked her this fall if she could work with her as a research assistant. Murphy, who is the program coordinator for WestConn’s M.S. in Addiction Studies program, is evaluating how using high-definition video technology in counseling simulation can benefit graduate students in the addiction studies program. “The immersive technology gives us the ability to review the simulations in great detail and provide the counseling students with enhanced professor feedback,” Muscatelli explained. “We measured their confidence in various related counseling skills before and after to assess the role of the technology. Lynnae Snyder, a fellow student, and I will present the research results at Western Research Day and submit a paper on our findings.”

Muscatello continued, “I enjoy research and academia and I’ve really enjoyed learning,” she said. “I also realized that I didn’t want to be a lawyer — I really do want to follow through on that dream of being a forensic psychologist. My grandparents are from Portugal, and my grandfather proudly tells everyone that I’m getting a master’s degree because of his sacrifice that paid off. He left school at such a young age to work back in Portugal and continued to work and provide for his family when he came to the United States. I am endlessly grateful for his hard work and want his selfless actions to be acknowledged.”

Speaking of a master’s degree, after she graduates from WCSU in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Muscatello will head to New York University to pursue a Master of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis on Forensics. “I was drawn to the city because it is a Mecca for information and knowledgeable people, particularly in the field of forensic psychology,” she said. “The opportunity to learn, grow, and engage with real-world applications made it the ideal place for me to study. I am used to a more even-paced environment having grown up in suburban areas all my life, so having my dad who grew up in the Bronx show me the ropes (and hopefully some good places to eat) is a great addition to what NYU and NYC had to offer already.”

“I’m so proud of Tori,” said Dr. Mary Murphy. “Even though we don’t have a formal forensic psychology track at WCSU, she forged her own path by seeking out opportunities, building relationships with faculty both within and beyond our department, and thoughtfully choosing research, clinical work experiences, and coursework that would prepare her for graduate study. It’s incredibly rewarding to see her now taking the next step toward her dream of becoming a forensic psychologist.”

It’s no surprise to see Muscatello’s success when she has been laser focused on creating a tailored educational path. The flexibility and opportunities at WestConn made it the ideal place to allow Muscatello to design her own path to her goals. She said she’s been struck by how open and accepting everyone is at WCSU. “I’ve met great staff, professors and fellow students. Everyone here has open arms and wants to help you. The fact that many of us in the Psychology program end up at really great graduate schools also shows that we’re getting a good education at WestConn.”

Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.