Class of 2016
What work or ministries have you been involved with since graduation?
Since graduating from WSCAL, I have worked in a variety of mental health settings as a Marriage & Family Therapist, including community mental health, group practice, family practice medical residency, and private practice. In these settings, I have worked with couples, families, and individuals, helping them build strong relationships and work through various life challenges. I also teach marriage and family therapy courses and counseling ethics courses as an adjunct professor in the graduate counseling program at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI.
Have you pursued/completed further education since graduation? If so, where?
Yes. After graduating from WSC, I went on to complete a Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy and a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Alliant International University. I also completed a certificate in Medical Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University and a post-doctoral fellowship in Medical Family Therapy at the Chicago Center for Family Health.
How has your seminary education been valuable in your current vocation (or any vocation since graduation)? Has it been valuable in ways you weren’t expecting?
My seminary education has been invaluable in my continued education and subsequent career. There is a lot of pressure in a secular counseling field to affirm and go along with unbiblical teachings. The strong theological foundation I received from WSC gave me categories for and ways of thinking about complex issues I face both in counseling and as an educator.
What would you say to someone who is currently considering seminary education at WSC?
I would encourage you to go for it! There are so many benefits to having a seminary education as a woman. The church will benefit from having theologically grounded women as part of the congregation or in places of leadership. Your future career – whether in ministry or not – will benefit from you having a strong theological foundation. Your relationships with others will benefit from you having a strong understanding of what you believe and why you believe it. You will benefit personally from knowing how to think critically about both theological and non-theological topics. The workload is rigorous, but so worth it.
