The NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC), recently awarded a $5,000 2016 NBCC Foundation rural scholarship to Adams State alumna Sarah Marie Jennings ’14. The rural scholarship is awarded to counseling students who commit to practicing in rural areas upon graduation.
Currently, Jennings is a graduate student in the Adams State Counselor Education Department. She plans on completing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling program in 2017.
"I am so thankful for the opportunities this scholarship will provide," Jennings said. "In addition to the five thousand dollars, the NBCC has provided me with access to additional training as well as support and supervision that will help me grow to become a better counselor."
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. More than 40 students from across the country applied for the five 2016 rural scholarships.
As a rural scholarship recipient, Jennings will receive $5,000 to support her counseling education and recognize her commitment to the underserved. Upon graduation, Jennings will continue working on the medical integration team at the San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group, located in Alamosa. In her position, she collaborates with medical providers to ensure clients have greater access to mental health services that would otherwise not be easily attainable.
Jennings’ goals are to expand the availability of mental health services in underserved areas and to provide education about potential benefits. Earning this scholarship will allow Jennings to attend counseling conferences, establish a stronger professional identity as a counselor, learn evidence-based practices to better serve underserved populations, and advocate for the counseling profession.
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 2016. 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 60,000 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.
