LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Lock Haven University alumni Kristen L. Keim and Amy M. Stewart have been awarded scholarships from the NBCC Foundation. The NBCC Foundation Rural Scholarship is awarded to counseling students who commit to serving in rural and underserved areas upon graduation.
The mission of the NBCC Foundation is to promote mental health through the advancement of professional counseling and credentialing. The rural scholarship was created in 2009 to develop more counseling services in rural and underserved areas, which suffer disproportionately from a lack of mental health care. Students from across the country applied for the five rural scholarships, and the NBCC Foundation Board of Trustees awarded an additional rural scholarship in response to the high caliber of the applicants.
Ms. Keim, of Jersey Shore, Pa., and Ms. Stewart, of Renovo, Pa., will each receive $3,000 to support their counseling education and in recognition of their commitment to the underserved.
Ms. Keim is currently a student at Pennsylvania State University pursuing a master’s in elementary school counseling and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University (2007). Upon graduation, she plans to work as a counselor and child advocate, addressing the behavioral, emotional and academic needs of children experiencing both the benefits and hardships of living in a rural area.
Ms. Stewart is currently a student at Pennsylvania State University pursuing a master’s in elementary school counseling and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University (2008). She plans to become an advocate and counselor for children in rural areas, relying on her unique perspective as someone who knows firsthand the challenges and benefits of rural living.
In addition to Ms. Keim’s and Ms. Stewart’s scholarships, four additional $3,000 rural scholarships have been awarded. The NBCC Foundation has also awarded five $3,000 military scholarships to increase the number of counselors available to serve military servicemembers and veterans and their families.
The NBCC Foundation plans to continue offering scholarships to increase the number of counselors in the areas where they are needed most. For more information or to make a gift in support of the Foundation’s mission, please visit www.nbccf.org.
The NBCC Foundation is an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), based in Greensboro, NC. 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 46,000 National Certified Counselors in the United States and more than 40 countries.