Educating for Impact
RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION
During my masters program I asked a doctoral student why she aspired to become a professor as opposed to a counselor. She replied, "if I become a counselor, I can only impact the lives of the clients I see. If I become a professor, I can impact the lives of everyone my students see."
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Impact. I teach and design curriculum, grounded in research for impact. Course development creates a platform on which social justice, cultural competence and integrity can be infused into career development courses. Engaging in rich discussion and case reports allows my students to develop skills that will not only impact their lives, but the lives of each client, colleague, manager and supervised staff member with whom they interact. I teach and develop curriculum not just for the advancement of my students, but for the impact they will have on those around them.
QUAL 6971: QUALITATIVE INQUIRY & APPLICATION TO PRACTICE
April 2017
Perhaps one of my favorite courses to develop. This class was designed for Masters level counseling students interested in learning more about the application of research to practice. This course introduces students to 7 fundamental genres within qualitative research. As a final project, students develop an original career counseling intervention informed by qualitative inquiry.
WFED 4990: TRANSITION FROM COLLEGE TO ADULTHOOD
January 2016Â - May 2017
This course was designed to help students transition from college to adulthood - and all its many complexities. The 3-credit course used four modules to anchor the course: understanding self, career development, financial planning and life integration. Each module challenged students to question the status quo and push beyond their comfort zone.
COR 190: CAREER ORIENTATION - HYBRID COURSE
2009-2011
As the Internship and Federal Work Study Coordinator, I was well aware of the breadth of professionalism possessed by most of the students on my campus. Unfortunately, most students only utilized the Career Services office when they were looking for a job. Many failed to proactively develop their skill set before attempting to enter the workforce. Realizing that I needed to meet students where they were, I developed a proposal that would allow me to do just that. I met them in the classroom.
COR 090 was a pass/fail course that every student was required to complete before graduation. Unfortunately, it was taught asynchronously. In my opinion, that method proved to be ineffective due to the amount of attention and practice required to master particular skills. Unable to change the entire format, I proposed that the course be offered in-seat once a week for three hours. After meeting with the presidents of both Richmond campuses, I was offered a "trial period" and the course number was changed to COR 190.
The response from the new structure exceeded everyone's expectations, even my own. I was proud of the work we'd done and how helpful it was for each student.
