Graduate Student Spotlight | Marissa Wegfahrt

I went to Penn State for my B.S. in psychology. I have two minors: one in deaf and hearing studies, and the other in rehabilitation and human services. I also worked in a research lab for multilingual people with aphasia while at Penn State. After I graduated, I worked as a preschool teacher for two years, and once I got into Hood College, I stopped working. I’m a full-time student now.

After I graduated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my degree, but I knew that I wanted to work in the field of psychology and mental health. I talked with education professionals and psychologists while being a preschool teacher, and that got me interested in counseling. A graduate degree seemed more viable than a doctoral degree.

Hood College stood out to me due to it being accredited, which is important for counselors in order to get their licenses. Hood also has a variety of really interesting classes, which is another reason why I got interested in their program.

I am in my internship right now. Part of the counseling program is a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. I did my practicum at a high school, and now I’m doing my internship at an elementary school. I am getting my experience there before becoming a full-time counselor.

The main aspects of being a school counselor are teaching social and emotional lessons in classrooms. We also work with students with specific social/emotional needs. We do counseling sessions that are short and solution-focused. Some of our duties are the same as other faculty, such as dismissal/arrival duties. It’s a job that consists of a million different things, and it is never boring. I love being a school counselor so much because you’re doing something different every single day. It’s truly exciting!

Our program has two specialties: clinical/mental health counseling and school counseling. The first focuses on traditional therapy and group sessions, and the client list is limited to specific people on an hourly basis. School counselors work within a school the entire day and handle duties that other teachers or staff might do. School counselors work on the emotional and mental health needs of the students, and their client list is essentially the entire student population.

I got involved with the MSCA during my first semester at Hood, when I took my first school counseling specialty course. Professor Laura Jones is also involved with MSCA. I think it’s important to be involved with local organizations that tie into our profession. They provide us with a lot of opportunities and webinars, and they run a conference once a year on varying topics. The MSCA is a really valuable organization to be a part of.

I was nominated for the award and then there was an application I had to fill out after being nominated. It was an opportunity for me to highlight the hard work I’ve done at my internship site and my coursework in my school counseling classes. From there, a committee reviewed the applications with their nominations and voted on the winner.

I’ll graduate at the end of the spring 2024 semester. I am more than halfway done with my 600-hour internship and am completing my final class required for graduation. I have already started the job search process and have completed a few interviews for school counseling positions. I am so excited for this next step in my career!

My advice would be to talk to as many professionals in the field as you can. Take an undergraduate counseling course to see if you like it. I think that counseling is an awesome field to get into, and as long as you’re a patient and empathetic person, you can make a great counselor. It isn’t the same as psychology, and I think Hood College’s program helps you grow as a person and as a professional. We have supportive faculty who want you to be successful and to be the best counselor you can be. I felt like my professors gave me great constructive criticism and helped me grow as a counselor.

My other piece of advice would be to see a counselor before you get into the counseling program. There’s still too much stigma in getting mental health services. There are plenty of benefits to getting mental help—it helps you grow as a person to see a therapist. We need to get rid of the taboo around going to counseling, as it hinders people from getting the help they need.

I’m currently taking some classes in American Sign Language, which would be great for connecting with students who use sign language. I’m also a big fan of football and the Eagles.

Interested in the school counseling program at Hood? Ready to #GOFURTHER in your career? Learn more about Hood College’s graduate programs by clicking here.