Southeastern student awarded counseling fellowship from NBCC and affiliates
Tuesday, March 8, 2016 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University counseling student Victoria Grant of Bogalusa
was selected by the NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified
Counselors, for the group’s Minority Fellowship Program-Youth.
As an NBCC MFP-Y Fellow, Grant will receive funding and training to support her
education and facilitate her service to underserved minority populations with a specific
focus on transition age youth, ages 16–25.
“The counseling faculty is very excited that Victoria took the initiative to
pursue this opportunity,” said Professor of Counseling Mary Ballard. “Her interest
and energy for professional development beyond the classroom is a model for all of
our students to follow.”
The NBCC MFP will distribute $5,000 to Grant and the 39 other master’s-level
counseling students selected to receive the fellowship award. Grant is both a student
and graduate of Southeastern, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling
education with an emphasis in school counseling.
Grant plans to serve the minority population upon graduation. The fellowship
will help her obtain supervision for working with the minority population and will
also allow her to be a part of ongoing training in order to best serve as a professional
in the counseling field.
The NBCC MFP-Y is made possible by a grant awarded to NBCC by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in September 2014. The Foundation
is contracted by NBCC to administer the NBCC MFP-Y, as well as training and collaboration
activities, such as webinars, that are open to all National Certified Counselors (NCCs).
The goal of the program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health
care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the available
number of culturally competent behavioral health professionals.
