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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Dec. 19, 2014) – It wasn’t just a diploma Valerie Hopson accepted when she walked across the stage last Friday at Milligan College’s commencement ceremony.
“This degree is the next phase of my life,” said Hopson, one of the first nine graduates of Milligan’s Master of Science in Counseling (MSC) program who are concentrating in clinical mental health.
After a brief stint as a public school teacher, Hopson left, frustrated that she couldn’t do more for her students. She pursued mental health case management, which she really enjoyed, but found there was only so much one could do without a counseling degree.
Then, in 2012, she found out Milligan was launching its counseling program.
“It seemed too good to be true at the time,” said Hopson, who was born and raised in Kingsport, Tennessee, and a graduate of the college’s Master of Education program. It was her chance to become a fully-licensed professional counselor.
“I’m drawn to a setting where I can help people achieve their goals, and counseling is all about that,” said Hopson, who has already been hired by her current employer, Frontier Health, to go from being a mental health case manager to a child and adolescent therapist. “It’s a great career to give back to people and help others.”
That servant leadership mentality was instilled in her from the beginning at Milligan.
“There’s something unique about Milligan’s counseling program,” said Hopson. “It provides not only an academic foundation in counseling, but conveys it in a faith-based manner. The faith and integration class ties together the counseling curriculum and Christian philosophy so you become confident both as a counselor and as a person of faith.”
With such a small class size, Hopson also found a tight-knit community with a lot in common.
“We all worked and had families, yet we were going to school to pursue new careers,” said Hopson. “We became very close as the first graduating class of the program. We were able to talk to each other deeply, sharing strengths and stresses with each other, and get to know each other very well. That provided an extra level of support that we really needed.”
The accessibility and support from the program’s professors also bolstered the group.
“If any of us had an issue, they would listen,” said Hopson. “They were ready and more than willing to help us. You could tell that they wanted us to succeed more than anything.”
“Valerie brought cheerfulness and an extremely positive attitude to our cohort,” said Dr. John Paul Abner, professor of occupational therapy and psychology. “She exemplifies the Christian values and servant leadership qualities we hope for in our graduates.”
Hopson already has made contributions to a profession where there is occasionally confusion about the difference in roles between a case manager with a bachelor’s degree and a therapist with a master’s. At a presentation for a community mental health system, she helped clarify that in a case manager training session.
“She has been able to contribute to the counseling profession immediately,” said Dr. Rebecca Sapp, assistant professor of counseling. “I’m confident she will continue to have a positive impact on her clients and the counseling field.”
Hopson hopes to keep growing in her field and even plans to become a certified trauma therapist where she will continue to make a difference.
“Counseling is not a career where it’s all about you and your goals,” said Hopson. “It’s a ‘pay it forward’ career.”
To learn more about Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu.