The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC), recently awarded a $5,000 2015 NBCC Foundation rural scholarship to Amber Bray, of Montrose, Colorado. The rural scholarship is awarded to counseling students who commit to practicing in rural areas upon graduation.
The mission of the NBCC Foundation is to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change. The Foundation created the rural scholarship in 2009 to improve access to counseling services in rural communities, which suffer disproportionately from a lack of mental health care. Nearly 40 students from across the country applied for the five 2015 rural scholarships.
As a rural scholarship recipient, Bray will receive $5,000 to support her counseling education and recognize her commitment to the underserved. A graduate of William Smith College in Geneva, New York, Bray is currently a master’s student in the school counseling program at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. Following graduation, she plans to work as a school counselor in rural Montrose, Colorado, assisting middle and high school students. With this scholarship, she will be able to continue working toward her master’s degree. Focusing on her academics while also working in schools will allow her to gain the education and experience necessary to fully support young people. She is particularly excited to learn to help youth with significant mental health challenges, as well as to gain skills to help all youth find the best path for them following high school.
The NBCC Foundation has also awarded five $5,000 military scholarships to increase the number of counselors serving fellow military personnel, veterans and their families. The Foundation plans to continue offering scholarships to increase the number of counselors in the areas where they are needed most and will open the next application period in September 2015. For more information or to make a gift in support of the Foundation’s mission, please visit NBCC Foundation.
About the NBCC Foundation
The NBCC Foundation is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), based in Greensboro, North Carolina. NBCC is the nation’s premier professional certification board devoted to credentialing counselors who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of professional counseling. Currently, there are more than 55,000 National Certified Counselors (NCCs) in the United States and more than 50 countries. The Foundation’s mission is to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change.
