PSYC and Education Alumna Running for Seat on Hyattsville City Council
Mental health counselor Gopi Dhokai, PSYC/Elementary Education ’10, was inspired to run because of her undergraduate and career experiences.
Gopi Dhokai, a 2010 alumna of the Department of Psychology (PSYC) is running to become a member of the Hyattsville, Md. City Council this year. If elected on May 13, Dhokai would be one of the two council members selected to represent Ward 3.
The Montgomery County, Md. native’s interest in local politics wasn’t something she came to the University of Maryland already possessing. Rather, it was something she learned to appreciate during her time as an undergraduate student.
Initially, Dhokai was interested in majoring in elementary education, but that all changed when she took a social psychology course. From that point on, Dhokai added a degree in psychology.
As an undergraduate in PSYC and education, Dhokai did her student teaching in Prince George’s County schools, an experience that opened her eyes to the shortage of resources that exist for some students.
“When a student can’t focus on reading because they can’t access new glasses, how does the community even start to teach them academically?” Dhokai recalled thinking at that time. She hoped to pursue a career in counseling to support the individual needs of students.
Dhokai’s awareness of the role that a community can play in improving the lives of the people who live there was deepened while pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Boston College. There, Dhokai provided therapy services to those that interacted with various community-based organizations, such as food banks.
After working as a substance use counselor, an intensive care coordinator and supervisor, and eventually opening her own private practice in Boston, Dhokai decided to move to Hyattsville in 2023. Immediately, she wanted to get involved—a process that taught her a lot along the way, too.
“If there was an issue in the community, I would always try to canvas and go to city council meetings,” she said. “I got a chance to get to know different aspects of the city and what it offers.”
Throughout the course of her campaign so far, Dhokai has enjoyed learning more about the characters who color the Hyattsville community, and about how longtime residents and area institutions have been balancing the changes that come with new development in the area—including impacts on businesses, finances and the environment.
Dhokai says that a growing concern for longtime residents involves the current lack of outlets for rainwater to be absorbed as new buildings are put in place, as well as resident safety, transportation, and their ability to bring their issues up to city leaders.
“It’s an interesting balance of trying to figure out which issues matter to which neighborhood,” she said. “It’s really cool to have conversations with [residents] about how they can get engaged at the local level.”
Dhokai hopes to “be the difference” by bringing a sense of community back to Ward 3, especially in a post-Covid era. She hopes by taking the opportunity to help others, she’s inspiring locals to grow more engaged as well.
“We can all be a little bit less isolated and a little bit more connected to help each other out,” she said.
Published on Tue, May 6, 2025 - 9:17AM