From Pelotas, Brazil, to a PhD track: How one Dean’s Medalist found her way at ASU
Helena Silva Goldbaum grew up in Pelotas, Brazil, and came to the U.S. to study child development. Photo by Christopher Muntean
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2025 graduates.
You can’t chase your dreams if you stand still. That’s what Helena Silva Goldbaum realized four years ago.
Growing up in Pelotas, a city at the southernmost tip of Brazil, Goldbaum wanted her future to be a story of her own volition. She sought a college experience that allowed her to explore different interests, take risks and define her own path.
Driven by this thirst for adventure, she began applying to U.S. colleges as an international student — a process she needed to figure out from scratch. When the acceptance letters arrived, Arizona State University stood out thanks to its support for international students, scholarship opportunities and room to grow.
So, fresh out of high school, she leaped headfirst and moved nearly 6,000 miles to Arizona — alone.
“I came to the U.S. by myself, and I didn’t have connections or know anyone who had done this before,” she says. “I researched everything on my own.”
Fast-forward four years, and that move turned out to be a career-defining decision: Goldbaum is graduating as the Sanford School’s Spring 2025 Dean’s Medalist with concurrent degrees in psychology and family and human development, countless research experiences, a PhD program lined up — and yes, a strong network of peers and professors she built along the way.
As a student in Barrett, The Honors College, she researched at the Emerging Minds Lab and the Child Study Lab, presented at professional conferences, co-authored a peer-reviewed journal article and assisted with multiple courses — including CDE 394: Designing Innovative Interventions for Children, a class she took twice for fun.
She also completed a competitive research internship at Harvard, a feat which involved countless applications and mock interviews with professors. This allowed her to spend a summer exploring how young children make meaning of their environments and understand other people's minds.
That sense of motivation and curiosity has guided her time at ASU and helped her carve out a future in developmental science. This fall, she will begin a PhD program in educational psychology with a focus on applied developmental science at the University of Virginia, with the goal of designing research that promotes healthy development in children.
“Helena is a superstar — bright, curious, dedicated, compassionate, caring and highly committed to learning,” said Professor Richard Fabes, professor and director of innovation at the Sanford Harmony Institute. “She is eager to become a developmental scientist whose work makes a difference in the lives of children and those who care for and about them.”
We caught up with Goldbaum to reflect on her journey, what she has learned and where she’s headed next.
Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized what you wanted to study?
Answer: During my first year, I started working at ASU’s Child Study Lab, and that experience completely shifted my perspective. I was fascinated by how kids think and how much they’re capable of. I also had an “aha” moment when I took CDE 394: Designing Innovative Interventions for Children, taught by Richard Fabes and Carol Martin. I ended up taking this course twice. That early hands-on experience of making science applicable to the community helped me realize I wanted to pursue research in child development.
Eventually, I added family and human development as a second major and started working in research labs. I became especially interested in how children’s environments shape their internal motivation and decision-making. My thesis focused on how to promote learning and motivation in young children — something I hope to continue researching during my PhD.
Q: What surprised you most during your time at ASU?
A: I was really surprised by how clever kids are. When you’re observing children closely, you realize how much they already know, and how much potential they have. I also learned how research can be applied more broadly — not just staying in an academic bubble — and how important it is to design studies that make a real-world impact. That idea has shaped my entire academic path.
Q: Were there any faculty members who had a big impact on you?
A: So many. Dr. Richard Fabes, Dr. Carol Martin and Dr. Sabina Low have been incredible mentors — especially through the interventions class and the Sanford Harmony Institute. I took that class twice, and now I’m a TA for it. Dr. Kelsey Lucca in the psychology department was my research advisor during my time at ASU and my thesis director. She became an incredible role model for me as a woman in science. All of them helped me develop my research skills, find my voice and see the value of what I bring to the field. I owe so much to their guidance.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors. I know that can be intimidating, especially as a first-year or international student, but they’re here because they want to support you. Some of my biggest opportunities came from asking questions or going to office hours. You never know who will help you find your path or open a new door.
Q: What’s one change you’d love to see in the world — and how would you use your degree to help make it happen?
A: I’d love to see more attention on children’s development and how we support it. Kids are the future, and research should be used to help them thrive — not just sit on a shelf. I want to help bridge the gap between research and everyday practice, so that what we learn in the lab actually makes a difference in the classroom and at home.
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