Two UNC Greensboro doctoral students in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development (CED) have been selected to participate in the American Psychological Association’s Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program (IMFP), a prestigious recognition that supports graduate students dedicated to serving racially and ethnically minoritized communities. For recipients Emu Aragon and Tania Perez Rodriguez, the fellowship, which includes a monetary component, will allow them to expand their reach, deepen their expertise, and advance health equity.
Bridging Language and Cultural Gaps in Behavioral Health
Perez Rodriguez, a third-year doctoral student, feels that the fellowship directly aligns with her mission to break down barriers to mental health care for Spanish-speaking and Latine communities. She currently serves as a Behavioral Health Doctoral Fellow at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where she works with two teams – one providing behavioral health services to patients, and the other providing care services to patients who often utilize emergency services.
Perez Rodriguez’s motivation stems from her early work as a case manager, where she witnessed the limits of interpreter-based counseling.
She said, “I was able to interpret for many of my Spanish-speaking clients when they visited their English-speaking counselors. Though I believed my services to be helpful, I realized that no matter how accurate the interpretation was, these clients were not receiving the most comprehensive linguistic and culturally responsive counseling services. Language is fundamental to how we express and communicate how we feel, and counseling provides an outlet to share what you are feeling. However, with an interpreter in the room, it can be difficult and uncomfortable to want to express your whole self.”
This fellowship will allow Perez Rodriguez to participate in collaborative opportunities, including attending conferences such as the Council of Social Work Education in November. The funding will also provide her with the chance to expand her training in areas like Motivational Interviewing, immigration evaluations, and the interdependence between medical and psychosocial issues.
She added, “The fellowship received perfectly matches my goal due to the program’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and minority work to help reduce health disparities among underrepresented communities.”
Centering Healing and Liberation for Marginalized Communities
Aragon sees the fellowship as a means to amplify his long-standing commitment to Queer people of Color and the Latin American diaspora. His clinical work spans nonprofit HIV/AIDS services, rural community mental health, college counseling, and initiatives providing low-cost therapy and support groups for Spanish-speaking immigrants.
He said, “I intend to leverage the APA’s support to deepen my community-based clinical work, expand access to affirming mental health services for Spanish-speaking and Queer communities of Color, and develop sustainable, culturally grounded practices that center healing, liberation, and collective care.”
Beyond funding, Aragon values the fellowship’s mentorship, interdisciplinary training, and collaborative projects. He expects that his experiences will “deepen clinical and leadership skills” and “cultivate a lifelong community of support dedicated to serving radically and ethically minoritized populations.”
A Common Vision
While Perez Rodriguez and Aragon work in different contexts, they share a commitment to culturally responsive care and breaking down barriers in mental health. The IMFP strengthens their ability to lead, connect with networks of practitioners across the country, and bring care to the communities they serve.
Both students believe that the CED program at UNCG has helped to shape their counseling careers and allowed them to grow both personally and professionally. That growth has come as a result of working closely with highly respected faculty members.
Aragon said, “I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who not only affirmed my authentic self but also pushed me to grow beyond the limitations I once held for myself. The faculty in Counseling and Educational Development are among the most prolific in the field, but more importantly, they lead with humanity – caring for their students as whole people.”
Perez Rodriguez added, “It can be challenging to handle all the work and opportunities, but with the relationships that I have built, I have received support and encouragement that have made the journey easier.”
