School Counseling Personal Statement

We make decisions early in our lives that have a massive impact on our future. It has always been a passion of mine to touch the lives of the youth in a great and positive manner. What better way to live out this passion than being an advocate for the generation to come. It is my goal, to inspire and aide a generation of students in achieving their goals. I believe that School Counseling will give me the opportunity to do so. My personal and work experiences influenced my motivation to become a School Counselor. Through my years of experience I have overcame many challenging obstacles but they all worked together in the end for the better. In example, the first university that I attended after high school was Valdosta State University. When I attended VSU, my approach of learning was extremely nonchalant. After some life struggles I decided to relocate to Atlanta. Upon moving, I made a promise to myself that I had to finish what I stated back in Valdosta. My outlook on learning had become more meaningful. I enrolled in Atlanta Technical College and this is where my hungry for an over average GPA began. Once I began this journey, deciding to focus in Early Childhood and Education, like any other college student, I faced difficulties adjusting myself to university’s requirements. Eventually I became more confident and showed much more interest in the change. I worked harder, and received high grades, which boosted my ambition to perform better. In my last quarter at Atlanta

I would like to pursue counseling as my career and become a successful leader in the field. I have always had a passion to assist people in emotional distress. As a qualified professional in the counseling field, I would be able to identify their problems as well as offer them the most appropriate solutions that may help them deal with their situations. However, working as a professional counselor requires that I possess the relevant skills and knowledge that would enable me to offer quality services in which I think that I can obtain the skills at Capella University. As a

A doctoral degree combining both supervisory professional mental health counseling skills and counselor education has always been at the forefront of both my personal and professional goals. Being afforded the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision will allow me the ability to enhance my professional competencies and achieve my set goals. My primary desire is to obtain a position as a college professor that will allow me to nurture the professional growth and maturity of future mental health professionals. Pursuing the doctoral degree will simultaneously assist in developing skillsets that will further prepare me for advanced opportunities in not only teaching but supervision and research. Additionally, I desire to devote time and research to small rural communities to establish prevention based programs that will bridge communities as it relates to mental health challenges. A PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University will afford me the opportunities to positively impact change in future professionals and the communities for which I serve.

My pursuit of becoming a School Counselor led me to apply to the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland, College Park. I am a former student at University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. After graduating and teaching for two years in Prince George’s County Public Schools, I discovered my true passion lies not only in the classroom and students’ academics, but playing a pivotal role in the growth of their career, social, and personal development. Although I am no longer teaching full-time at the moment, my interaction with students from diverse backgrounds left an indelible responsibility to continue making a difference in our students. The objectives and mission of the School Counseling Master’s Program at University of Maryland can best help my goal of becoming an effective counselor and leader who is an agent of change to students and service the mental and emotional well-being of the younger generation.

As I started my college career at Tuskegee University, where I double majored in psychology and English. I was passionate about creating social awareness and helping people, but I was unsure what career I was interested in after graduation. I thought about attending graduate school for Counseling Psychology, but I just was not sure about it. I spoke to a professor in the Counselor Education program at Georgia State University and discussed my interests with her. She suggested I look for a program accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) School Counseling. I enrolled in the School Counseling program at Clark Atlanta

It takes a special person to become a school counselor and in doing so it is important to take those life skills, knowledge, dispositions, and background experiences to help along the way. In the counseling field there are some guidelines and theories that will help, but nothing that prepares you for what may happen at any moment or any time during the day. It is clear that life definitely throws some unexpected curve balls and that is the same for situations in the field of school counseling. You never know what situation you will run into and in order to dodge those curve balls it is those life experiences that often time influence the direction in which we take both personally and professionally. It is important to compile all the knowledge and experiences that we have gained throughout life and apply them in a way that will help others to be successful. It is key to reflect on the past and those skills that I have that will lead me to become an effective professional school counselors.

In schools all over the world today, School Counselors are crucial to assisting students, parents, school administrations, and the community. I believe that creating an effective counseling program that supports the counselors’ role in education will foster a close interaction between students and counselor to achieve success in their personal/social lives, academic achievements, and college readiness careers.

Tell us something about how your undergraduate studies or other life experiences have prepared you for graduate study in counseling. What do you think are your academic strengths and what might be areas of struggle for you? My Bachelor’s degree was in Interdisciplinary studies with a concentration on Human Service. I chose the disciplines of nursing, education, and psychology.

Personal Statement Counselors have the opportunity to change and make a difference in student’s life. All counselors, whether they are in Financial Aid, in Academic Advising, or in Career Development, they have the opportunity to make a positive change in a student’s life during and after college. Counselors are essential in universities and community colleges and students should have the opportunity to speak to counselors, whether they are exceeding or having a difficult time in college. I see myself advising students and helping them reach their goals and being a positive figure for them. I am passionate about Educational Counseling because my life was changed by an Academic Counselor.

I recently completed a Master’s degree in Counseling psychology through a mentored low residency program at the American International College in Springfield, MA. As such, I was able to improve my academic skills and obtained practical experience from my clinical internship. My inherent enthusiasm to help others and be a positive difference maker in their lives predisposes me to seek doctoral pursuit as I aim is to develop a more robust understanding of the nuances and complexities surrounding behavior and cognition of human beings. More specifically, I aspire to develop a more

As a recent graduate from East Carolina University (ECU), I am pleased to learn of your Ph.D. program in Education with a Concentration in Counseling (Counselor Education and Supervision). I wish to advance my education and pursue a Ph.D. degree at Old Dominion University (ODU). On May 5th, I graduate from ECU and I received my Master of Science degree in Clinical Counseling with an emphasis in Addictions (formerly Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling). I took advantage of the National Board for Certified Counselor’s (NBCC) new option of taking a licensing exam as a student and passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) on April 22, 2017. Having solid experience in both mental health and substance abuse counseling,

Through my graduate studies, I hope to develop profound and purposeful relationships with fellow students and faculty members. I am seeking an educational environment that that is both challenging and supportive, as well as a program that offers hands-on experiences to apply counseling theories, interventions, and techniques. Pursuing a graduate degree at Pennsylvania State University will provide me with all that I am wishing to seek in my graduate work and help me prepare to be a School Counselor by giving me the opportunity to learn in a multifaceted way. The specific secondary school emphasis will provide a more focused curriculum that matches my interests to assist middle school to high school students. Furthermore, the CEDAR Clinic located

The goal of a school counseling program to help all students reach academic success by providing supportive services that addresses issues or concerns comprising of academic, career and social/personal development. School counselors are not only concerned with students who are succeeding and motivated to learn, they also aim at encouraging students who are at risk of failing or dropping out of school to continue striving for success and setting goals that encourage productive citizens in communities. In order to create a comprehensive school counseling program, one must first recognize their own assumptions, perceptions and stereotypes regarding students’ behaviors, values and beliefs. One should also have a willingness to accept and understand

I have always wanted to be the person others look to when they feel scared or vulnerable. In return for that trust, I have put enormous effort into helping people who seek me out identify their best options for the future. Not until I encountered life in all its confusing, brutal truth, however, did I realize I wanted to occupy that advisor’s role as a professional. My aim in applying to Northwestern is to become a licensed professional counselor in my home state of Wisconsin so that I can help young people tackle everyday problems, learn life skills, and ultimately, be the best people they can be. Ultimately, my goal is to complete a doctorate in counseling psychology, from University of Wisconsin-Madison in particular, after completion of my master’s degree while gaining vital work experience in my field and to use my expertise to train other aspiring professionals in my field.

Looking back, I now have higher expectations about the duties of a school counselor and acknowledge the areas in which the counseling department at my school lacked. Most notably being that I was never given any traditional form of counseling. Unfortunately, I think this is due to the this growing field having not yet obtained its identity of a counseling emphasis. I knew that I could go to my counselor for academic advisement, I was sure that I would get more assistance if I struggled with my classes, but I do not believe that my counselor took an active approach of inquiring about mental health. Instead the counseling department seemed focused on student’s only when grades were down.