My first goal is to graduate from North Carolina Central University. This program takes about three years for a full-time student to complete, so I’m probably going to take a little longer since I’m starting it part-time. My hope is to graduate with my degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Addictions Specialist license in Spring or Fall 2028.

I also want to get involved (to the best of my ability) in graduate research. I thoroughly enjoyed getting involved at ECU and hope to try to continue that, even from a distance, at NCCU.

After graduating from NCCU, I'm excited to begin my counseling career at a public practice or facility in rural North Carolina. My first steps will be completing North Carolina's licensure requirements and finding a supervising facility that aligns with my values and can help me grow into the counselor I aspire to be.

While I'm still exploring what I want to specialize in, I've always been drawn to counseling adults rather than children or teens, although that is starting to shift as I go through my program. I'm particularly interested in learning more about substance abuse—an area where I feel I could make a meaningful impact in underserved rural communities.

This period feels like the perfect bridge between my academic foundation and my long-term vision. I'm looking forward to gaining hands-on experience, discovering which types of clients and challenges energize me most, and building the expertise I need to make a lasting difference in people's lives, especially in communities that often have limited access to mental health resources.

After spending five to ten years as a clinical mental health counselor—really getting my hands dirty, learning from clients, and mastering my craft—I want to pursue my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and become an LMHC Supervisor. There's something incredibly meaningful about the idea of mentoring the next generation of counselors and helping shape how mental health care is delivered.

Following another five to ten years in supervision, my ultimate dream is to open my own clinic that actually works for people's real lives. I'm talking about later hours during the day and Saturday availability—because let's be honest, mental health struggles don't happen on a convenient 9-to-5 schedule, and neither should quality care.

This vision comes straight from my own experiences and countless stories I've heard from people around me. Too many working people are stuck trying to find a good counselor they can actually see in person, without having to burn vacation days or squeeze therapy into their lunch break. Rural North Carolina deserves better access to mental health care, and I want to be part of making that happen.