Megan Whitbeck, a third-year doctoral student in UNC Greensboro’s Counseling and Educational Development (CED) department, has been selected to participate in the AARC Emerging Leaders Program in 2022-23. She was one of two doctoral students to earn this honor nationally.
Whitbeck credits her experience at UNCG with helping her earn her spot in this program, saying, “First and foremost, I have had amazing faculty that suggested I apply to the program, as it was such a good fit with my interests and career path. Our faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development have inspired me to reach beyond what I believe I am capable of, in ways that have improved my confidence and abilities as a professional and a leader. Their support, guidance, and encouragement was a necessary component of me earning this honor.”
The Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Emerging Leaders Program is designed to provide graduate students and new professionals with experiences that support leadership skills and competency development.
Whitbeck will have the opportunity to engage in diverse opportunities in a variety of roles within AARC, supporting their mission of promoting best practices in assessment, research, and evaluation in counseling.
She said, “Leaders are asked to provide a minimum of 50 hours of service to AARC across their service year, and receive free conference registration to the Annual AARC Conference, which is coming up in September in St. Louis, Missouri. There are many opportunities available for me to strengthen my research and leadership skills, while connecting with professionals who are interested in strengthening the counseling profession through research.”
She is passionate about using research to improve client outcomes and shared that she is excited to continue strengthening her research and leadership skills to serve the counseling field.
Whitbeck said, “My goal is to become a tenure-track professor at a counselor education program, teaching graduate students how to become good counselors. I am very passionate about research, which is part of the reason why I am so excited for this opportunity. It feels like a great fit with my goal of becoming a research-oriented faculty member to have experience with a national organization in counseling that is focused on research.”
