Graduate Travel
Professional Travel Grants for Graduate Students
VCA 2015
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
I had the great opportunity to attend the 2015 Virginia Counseling Association Conference at the beautiful Homestead in Hot Springs, VA.
I attended presentations about mindfulness and yoga, attachment and trauma, international students and counseling efforts, emergency custody procedures, starting a private practice, moral injury in veterans and many more.
While I am passionate about learning all that I can about trauma and PTSD, the concept of “post traumatic growth” was new to me and was explored in a few breakout sessions.
It was wonderful meeting professionals in the field from all over the state. I enjoyed learning about various counseling settings and received advice from experienced professional counselors. It was fun to connect with Longwood professors, alumni, and classmates outside of the classroom as well! Thank you, Longwood University!
– Amy Kennel
VCA Conference 2015- Getting back to the Basics
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
I signed up as a volunteer at the VCA convention, because I wanted an opportunity to meet ANYONE I could. Well that and I love working, I honestly can’t sit still. My classmate and I started our journey to The Homestead after a riveting lecture on the DSM 5! The drive up added meaning to the song “over hills and through the woods”. However, we made it safely to the hotel and welcomed the jaw dropping view.
Eagerly, I hit my alarm at 6:15 a.m. to get ready for a day. I headed downstairs to meet a nice older gentlemen, who quickly shows me “the ropes”. In no time I was checking people in, before heading to a 7:30 morning mediation session. For people who know me, sitting quietly is hard. My mind goes a thousand miles per hour and I’m already thinking about what to do next after I write this blog! Even though I struggled in morning mediation, I did learn to “touch my thought”. The instructor told us that it will take some work to meditate, but if you acknowledge the thought (touch it) and move on, you won’t be tied down by it. I know that he meant for us to use it for medication, however I am using it in my day to day interactions. Instead of letting negative thoughts or feelings control my day, I acknowledge the thought/feeling and let it go.
After breakfast, I head back up to the registration table to help out until Professor Doyle’s presentation. His presentation was on Interdisciplinary Teamwork, specifically the counselor and the lawyer relationship. I also attending Professor Wynne’s presentation on The Power of Peers: Utilizing Students in Classroom Guidance Delivery. She also talked about using interdisciplinary teamwork, not with regard to the student, but in regard to working with teachers. However, now that I think about it, the students added a level of teamwork as well. Both of our Longwood professors did an excellent job and had great turnout! #golongwood I spent the rest of my afternoon in Relationship 101 and I am not Jason, I’m Jessica. They both were very interesting and I learned a lot.
I was not for sure what to expect from my first conference, but what I did learn is to get back to the basics. We all have busy lives and are sometimes forgetful of the small things. Some of us over-analyze, when all we really need to do is stop, take a deep breath and go back to what we know. I feel that conferences can be a place for you to learn new knowledge, catch up with your past, refocus your future and leave ready to fight another day. Maybe that is an overly optimistic viewpoint, but it’s what I took from the whole process. Since I am still working on my basics in Counseling, I will take what I learned and continue studying.
Wish me luck!
-Setera
VCA Conference at the Homestead 2015
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
I had the great pleasure of being able to attend the annual Virginia Counselors Association conference this past weekend. I was able to network with fellow graduate students in the counselor education program and meet professionals who were able to answer my questions and teach me more about the counseling field. The presentations were excellent and very informative for a graduate student to listen too. I learned so much during my attendance and would encourage all graduate students to seek such experiences during their studies!
South Eastern Medieval Association Conference 2015
9 years
by
in English
Over the summer I was offered the opportunity to submit an abstract for the annual South Eastern Medieval Association (SEMA) conference. My abstract was accepted and I spent the next several months developing a paper to present in Little Rock, Arkansas.
This was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had during my graduate career at Longwood. Not only was I given the opportunity to present my research, but I was able to spend three days meeting, and conversing, with some of the greatest scholars in my field. I spent my time at the conference sitting in on panel sessions, listening to the original research of established medievalists.
When it came time for me to present my paper, I was fortunate enough to be on a panel with Mary Leech from the University of Cincinnati and Tina Boyer from Wake Forest University (the two women in the picture with me). It was intimidating to be presenting alongside two established scholars, but they were nothing but supportive and encouraging.
One of the highlights of my trip was a morning session called “Breakfast with Chaucer.” This session was dedicated to the art of speaking Middle English. I was able to sit down with both experts and novices (like myself) and read aloud from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. This gave me the opportunity to practice Middle English and receive feedback from experts on how I could improve. This session is a perfect example of the community at this conference; experienced scholars making a point to help younger students learn to navigate the world of academia.
I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend SEMA. I made great connections and came back to Longwood inspired, and ready to dive back into my own thesis research.
VSCA Fall 2015 Conference
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
The VSCA Conference was extremely beneficial. The breakout sessions gave pertinent information to school counseling. I really enjoyed the sessions regarding data and using Google Drive to make our jobs easier. Also the session regarding eating disorders was very informative. The conference itself was well-organized. I cannot wait to attend future VSCA Conferences. Thank you for the opportunity to travel to this event.
#VSCA15
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
The Virginia School Counseling Association conference was a wonderful time of confirmation, learning, and renewal. It was excellent to be around other school counselors from around the state and to really feel like I belonged there. I related to the information being presented and really felt like it pertained to me and would be useful for my future career. This year I have taken an interest in topics that I don’t have much knowledge in and will inevitably be faced with in my career such as suicide, self harm, and eating disorders. I was so excited to see these topics in the breakout sessions as an opportunity to learn more about them and to connect to them on a more personal level. I felt like I left the conference more equipped with information and useful resources to use in addressing these issues in my counseling career. While I spent a lot of time learning, it was also a great time of renewal as we learned a lot about self care. Although I hear all the time that it’s important to take care of yourself first so that you can be an effective counselor it was great to hear tips on how to do that and to see examples of how well it really works and the impact that it can have not only on ourselves but on our students and our families! The two days I spent at the VSCA conference gave me tools that I will be able to stow away in my toolbox for future use in my career and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to attend. I definitely look forward to going back!
VSCA Conference Reflection
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
I attended the Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA) on October 15, 2015 in Hampton, Virginia. The VSCA Conference was very informative, educational, and motivational that greatly added to my professional development. One of the main highlights of the conference was having the opportunity to listen to presenter Tara Brown. Ms. Brown was very inspirational and powerful as she provided an effective holistic approach while working with children. As a future school counselor, this gave me a different perspective of how to make effective connections with students and meet their emotional needs; there was an emphasis that building these relationships are more important than passing the Standards of Learning (SOLs). These human connections can drive the student’s emotional state, decisions, and actions that can either help or hinder student achievement. Throughout Ms. Brown’s presentation, she emphasized the importance of allowing the students to feel safe in school. By simply making the students feel safe, this can create a positive environment for learning and increase academics, behavior, and attendance. Another important highlight that was reinforced during this particular presentation is to remain enthusiastic everyday as a future school counselor, as enthusiasm is contagious. Ms. Brown also emphasized this in her presentation, as it truly can impact student academic performance. As I enter into the counseling field, I want the students to be excited about learning and achievement and give instill hope and encouragement to overcome barriers to education. Overall, the goal is to continue to close the student achievement gap, especially among males, and strive to implement effective strategies to meet diverse learning styles for all learners. I need to remember that males store and retrieve information differently than girls, and need to prepare and deliver lessons in the classroom, along with small and individual counseling sessions. By implementing all of these connective strategies for students, school counselors can discover the “root of the problem” and work with students to effectively problem solve strategies to find solutions.
Another conference highlight included collaboration among professional school counselors and formulating networking opportunities for my future career. Through the interaction in small groups, I was able to gain valuable information on how school counselors that work in various school settings implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) within their school counseling program and school system. This collaboration opportunity provide me with new insight into how PBIS could be integrated into my future profession. This evidence-based intervention works is effective for all students, but especially the ones who need additional individualized educational and behavioral support. Working with school counselors allowed me to see how they work with various stakeholders to implement the program and what strategies have been effective for them. Thus, I gained important tools for my “tool kit” to improve scholastic achievement for all students. In another counseling session, I was able to gain insight into how a school counselor integrated college and career readiness in the middle school setting. As this was a very informative session as well, the school counselor made learning about various college and careers that applied to their interests. She met with students during their lunch time called the College Café. I really liked this interactive approach, as I felt it provided a holistic approach to prepare students for their future educational and career goals. Even in middle school, emphasizing the importance for future planning and obtaining long and short term goals can help both students and parents prepare for their future after graduation. With interacting with other school counselors was both a highlight of the conference, it was also a benefit. Another benefit for me was having the opportunity to attend an elementary school counselor “show and tell workshop.” This workshop was for elementary school counselors to present various guidance lessons for grades K-7 that they implement into their curriculum. It was very effective for me because the lessons touched on the academic, social/emotional, and career domains of the ASCA National Model. As I aspire to be an elementary school counselor, this workshop provided me with an abundance of effective lessons and “tools” for all students that I will implement into my future counseling profession.
VSCA Conference 2015
9 years
by
in Counselor Education
I am so grateful that I was able to attend the VSCA 2015 conference. During the conference I was able to choose from multiple breakout sessions on subjects that were relevant to the field of school counseling. The most eye opening session that I had the privilege to attend was a session on eating disorders. Since eating disorders are so prevalent among teens I wanted to learn more about it, and I am glad I did. I was able to gain more perspective and insight due to the presenter’s personal account of her daughter’s struggle with the disorder. I was also fortunate enough to hear John Hodge’s keynote speech called BE THE ONE! He encourages everyone to get invested in their students because sometimes one person can make a difference. The VSCA conference taught me a lot about the field that I was pursuing a degree in, but most of all it left me uplifted, empowered, and confident that this was field for me.
Blue Ridge Symposium
9 years
Having the opportunity to attend the Blue Ridge Symposium was really awesome. I was able to spend time with three professors in my discipline in addition to my class mate. Hearing Paul Matsuda speak enhanced the course materials related to his theoretical approach. My ability to apply the concepts from class was really improved by hearing the various speakers and having the chance to converse with colleagues.
SHAV Conference 2015
9 years
I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Speech Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) 2015 conference. During this conference I was able to attend multiple sessions ranging from facilitating language with pre-school children with hearing loss, understanding common medical diagnoses and their relationship to swallowing disorders, treatment and evaluation of students with autism, and selecting an appropriate communication method for students with alternative and augmentative communication needs. At SHAV, I was also given the opportunity to interact with experienced speech-language pathologists within the area and to speak with local employers. SHAV allowed me to not only expand upon the knowledge I have gained at Longwood University, but it also allowed me to begin connecting with employers and working speech-language pathologists, which I hope will become valuable resources and connections following my graduation this coming May.
Longwood CSDS graduate program and faculty members