Travis Mauger earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in history from Penn State Berks in December 2024.
WYOMISSING, Pa. — Travis Mauger knew from an early age that he wanted to help others. After high school, he joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and later became a cadet in the local Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). His time in the military solidified his goal of serving others, particularly service members. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in history from Penn State Berks on Saturday, Dec. 21, during the college’s fall 2024 commencement ceremony at the Santander Arena.
Mauger, a first-generation college student, is from Exeter Township, Berks County. He decided to enlist in November 2019, shortly after graduating from high school, into the Army 1st Cavalry Division, a unit of soldiers that can be quickly deployed.
He returned to Berks County in August 2020 and continued to participate in monthly drills with the unit. The following year, his unit was activated and Mauger was sent to Washington D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, to deal with the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Following his deployment and experience as an officer-in-training and a cadet in the ROTC, Mauger decided to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. He has family members who are Penn State alumni, and so he chose to pursue a psychology degree at Penn State Berks. He explained that he chose Penn State Berks due to the wide variety of courses offered and the fact that he could complete his degree while commuting from home and taking care of his family.
At Penn State Berks, Mauger received a scholarship from the Cohen-Hammel Fellows Program, a comprehensive scholarship program for outstanding students designed to cultivate engaged and ethical leaders within their communities. Through this program, Mauger worked with his ROTC unit, focusing on community outreach programs, especially during Veterans’ Days and Memorial Days.
Mauger excelled academically during his time at Penn State Berks, making the dean’s list every semester, and becoming a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.
He also took advantage of the opportunity to conduct research. He presented the research he conducted with his faculty mentor, Nathan Greenauer, titled "The impacts of occupational culture on an individual’s help-seeking behavior" at the Higher Education Council of Berks County’s Research and Creativity Conference in 2024.
According to the abstract: "Help-seeking behavior has been a subject of significant interest within the psychological community, particularly in connection with veteran populations. Despite this interest, there is a gap in the literature concerning the potential impact of an individual’s occupation, and the related occupational culture, on their help-seeking behavior. The study seeks to remedy this by investigating the potential relationship between occupational culture and help-seeking behavior, with a primary emphasis on military populations."
In his spare time, Mauger also was active in the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading, which promotes understanding and enlightenment on global issues.
Mauger holds the strong belief that the Army could use a stronger focus on mental health, and so he has set his goal to one day become a practicing clinical psychologist for the Pennsylvania National Guard and also contribute some of his time to U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs.
“The better part of valor is discretion,” said Mauger. “This is the quote [attributed to the character Falstaff in William Shakespeare's play ‘Henry IV, Part One’] I choose to live by because to know an action is truly valorous is to do it discretely. It describes my father and myself because we would be happy doing as much good in the world as possible, even if it means getting no recognition.”
Mauger plans to go on to graduate school to achieve his goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. He said that Penn State Berks has prepared him well for a graduate career and credits the psychology faculty on the campus. He also plans to continue with the National Guard, and he is slated to become an officer in May 2025.
