School Counseling Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Ana (she/her) calls Maryland home. Her alma mater is Marymount University. Ana's  passions include making a difference in the lives of others, allowing a safe space for students and adults to come to her, and advocating for those who are not receiving the support they need. In her free time, Ana spends time with friends and family. This includes, but is not limited to, going out to new restaurants and going out to dance. 

Ariel (she/her) comes from the island of Barbados which is nicknamed the 'gem of the Caribbean Sea'. There, in her leisure time, you could find her reading a book, chatting with loved ones,  or enjoying the sparkling beach waters that ebb and flow to their own rhythm. After she graduated from the University of the West Indies, earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Management, she  entered the University of Maryland's School Counseling Master's program to train as a school counselor. Her goal is to provide a space where students are supported and enabled to thrive in all aspects of their lives where they can conceptualize and build toward the future that they envision for themselves. Laying brick after brick of skills, she intends to advocate for programs that expand their opportunities, develop their minds, and equip them with the tools to navigate whatever barrier or obstacle they may face with resilience. Upon closing her textbooks, she reverts to spending her time on her usual hobbies, although they currently look slightly different. She no longer reclines on the clear, blue waters, but ensures that she keeps in contact with her loved ones. Reading is still one of her passions that she now enjoys while a soft Lofi beat plays in the background and the light cast by the flames of her candle dances slowly on the wall. 

Kristen (she/her) is a second-year student in the School Counseling M.Ed. program at the University of Maryland. She grew up in a small county outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in which she considers home. Kristen earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences in Communication at Virginia Tech, her home away from home. She has a passion for working with students in helping them explore social/emotional tools and academic needs to feel successful while fostering trusting, respectful relationships. In  her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking time to travel, and going on long walks with a good playlist. 

Kat (she/her) calls Boyds, Maryland home. Her alma mater is the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Kat has a passion for working with young students in relation to their mental health. She enjoys listening to music in her free time and going to the beach when the weather is nice. 

Emily (she/her) has called Los Angeles, CA, home up until two years ago when her family moved to Raleigh, NC. For her undergraduate studies, she moved from Los Angeles to New England to study Community, Youth, & Education Studies and Sociology at Clark University in Worcester, MA. When first starting to study education Emily was originally focused on teaching at the primary education level, however, through her four-year internship working with high school juniors/seniors applying to college she felt that school counseling was the youth work field that she resonated the most with. As a first-generation college student, Emily has always valued education and wants to be an advocate/support for students preparing for their next stage of life after high school graduation. In her free time, Emily loves to spend time with her loved ones (including her corgi Luna), try new food, travel, be outside, and watch any and every reality tv show. Since moving to the DMV Emily has enjoyed being able to explore new areas both in and outside of D.C. and is always looking for new things to add to her DMV bucket list. 

Jessica (she/her) calls Washington D.C. and Silver Spring, MD home. Her alma mater is the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. As a first-generation Latina college student, Jessica's passion for school counseling is rooted in her desire to support marginalized students' academic, personal, and social development. An example is inspiring Latinx students to achieve their educational dreams. She aspires to uplift the next generation of Latinx students to reach their academic and professional goals. During Jessica's free time, she loves to spend time with her loved ones and dog. Besides that, she enjoys exercising, traveling, drawing, organizing, and reading. 

Sam (he/him) is an aspiring school counselor from Wayland, Massachusetts. He graduated from Goucher College with a degree in Philosophy and Creative Writing, and he worked as a special education paraeducator for three years before joining UMD's School Counseling program. Sam is passionate about adapting education to meet the diverse needs of students, and he believes in showing respect to all students as citizens of the world. When Sam is not at a school or in class, he is hoarding books, playing games with friends, or wandering around in the rain without an umbrella. 

Darryl (he/him) is originally from Florida, but currently resides in Maryland. His alma mater is the University of Central Florida. His passions are education and mental health. Darryl spends most of his free time in the gym or playing video games. 

Emma (she/her) calls Northbrook, Illinois home. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Mississippi where she majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology. Emma has always had a passion for mental health advocacy specifically for school aged children, which led her to purse a career in school counseling. Emma likes to spend her free time exploring and trying new places in D.C. as well as spending time with friends. 

Jared (he/him) lives in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Elon University with a B.A. In undergrad Jared wanted to be a science teacher, but discovered that school counseling was more for him. His hobbies are exercising and hiking, and is trying to get back into taekwondo. Jared spends most of his free time being with his family. 

Shiloh (he/him) is a studying counselor in the graduate program who works with first-year college students as an academic advisor and graduate assistant for the College of CMNS. He comes to the College of Ed. from Virginia Tech, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a Certificate in Criminology, and a minor in Adaptive Brain and Behavior. His passions and interests related to the counseling profession include culturally-sensitive solution-focused therapy, strength-based approaches that empower students to be their own advocates, eliminating punitive disciplinary practices in schools, and deconstructing student-victim identity to cultivate resilience and responsibility in youth. Right now, he is working towards a career in new student/pre-college programming at a major university. Washington D.C. is where Shiloh calls home, and on any given day you can find him commuting on the Metro, at one of the Smithsonian Museums for Art, grazing on a restaurant tour of the city, or amongst his friends at D.C.'s historic U Street.

Brianna (she/her) is from Maryland, but she spent 4 years in San Antonio, TX  for undergrad. She graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with her B.A. in Psychology. She is passionate about helping others, making a positive impact on the lives of other, and the importance of mental health. She enjoys watching movies and tv shows, spending time with her family & friends, pilates, yoga, painting pottery/canvases, trying new food places, listening to music, and going to the beach.

Rebecca (she/her) is from Massachusetts and got her bachelor's degree in Psychology from George Washington University. She is passionate about supporting students with their academics, college and career goals, and social-emotional skills. In her free time, Rebecca likes to spend time with friends and family, travel, and try new restaurants.