Jennifer Moralejo, PhD candidate in Counselor Education, has been chosen as one of ten Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellows. She is currently the social chair of Upsilon Theta, the CSI chapter at UT Knoxville. Moralejo also serves on the workshop committee and strategic planning committee.

“I am honored to represent Upsilon Theta through this opportunity. I look forward to meeting and collaborating with Chi Sigma Iota leadership and other selected fellows. Overall, I am excited for this opportunity and the upcoming year.”

Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that focuses on promoting academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI was established in 1985 and was created for counselors-in-training, counselor educators, and professional counselors.
The CSI Leadership Fellows Program is a yearly award designed to cultivate and support graduate counseling students by developing their skills, network, and competencies as future counseling professionals in a changing, multicultural society. When asked what the application process was like Moralejo explained, “Faculty and peers were supportive. Part of this process required that I reflect upon my leadership philosophy and how being a fellow may further develop my ideas, skills, and experiences. It was an honor to even be considered for nomination and definitely surprising and exciting to be selected for the fellowship.”

Moralejo will be attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference and Expo in San Francisco, CA in March 2017. As CSI Leadership Fellow, she will provide a minimum of fifty service hours on a CSI task force/committee and one hundred hours on special projects, attend the CSI Leadership Training, attend CSI activities, receive a $600 grant from CSI, receive a $100 dollar grant from her nominating CSI chapter (Upsilon Theta), and be recognized at the CSI Awards Ceremony during the ACA Annual Conference and Expo.

Everett Painter, PhD student in Counselor Education, received the Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC) Emerging Leader award and placed second in the Leadership Essay Contest co-sponsored by Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Painter received these honors and accepted his CSI Leadership Fellowship at the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference & Expo in Montreal, Canada.

When asked how he found out about these opportunities, he said, “our professional organizations regularly publicize opportunities for grants, workshops, and other ways to engage in the profession.”

The AHC Emerging Leaders Program opens applications up yearly to new professionals and students at the master’s and doctoral level.

Painter said, “I value humanistic philosophy and strive to make it an integral part of my professional life. The emerging leader position will help me grow in leadership and advocacy by allowing for interaction with AHC leaders, mentorship, support, and a deepened awareness of governing structure and processes. I believe my goals relative to full engagement in our field will be uniquely informed by the opportunities provided by this experience.”

As an Emerging Leader, he must provide at least fifty hours of service to an AHC committee or task, will receive free registration for the 2016 AHC Conference, and can learn what responsibilities are associated with elected officials in the organization.

The CSI/CACREP Leadership Essay Contest had a topic of transformational leadership.

Painter explained, “In the case of transformational leadership we first work on ourselves as we are the primary instruments of change in lives we encounter. It behooves us to recognize we are forever on the pathway of becoming. There is no end point. If we are to inspire others we must always be mindful of constantly improving ourselves. Fully engaging in our profession and investing in this way is done from a position of service, not personal gain or promotion. The stronger we can be the better we may serve.”

Along with second place came two hundred dollars, a one-year membership renewal in CSI, and his essay was published on the CSI website.

“I am grateful for these opportunities and deeply appreciative of the support and encouragement provided by faculty and peers at UT Knoxville.”

Everett Painter, PhD student in Counselor Education, has been chosen as one of ten Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellows and one of only two CSI Interns.

“I very much value the role CSI plays in our profession. So I consider this a privilege and am grateful for the opportunity. It also means a great deal to know the faculty were supportive of the nomination.”

Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that focuses on promoting academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI was established in 1985 and was created for counselors-in-training, counselor educators, and professional counselors.

The CSI Leadership Fellows Program is a yearly award designed to cultivate and support graduate counseling students by developing their skills, network, and competencies as future counseling professionals in a changing, multicultural society. Painter explained, “It requires previous leadership experiences at the chapter level, support of two faculty members and the chapter advisor, a financial commitment on the part of the chapter, and application process including the writing of an essay.” He is currently the president of Upsilon Theta, the CSI chapter at UT Knoxville.

Painter will be attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference and Expo in Montreal, Canada next month. As CSI Leadership Fellow and Intern, he will provide a minimum of fifty service hours on a CSI task force/committee and one hundred hours on special projects, attend the CSI Leadership Training, attend CSI activities, receive a $600 grant from CSI, receive a hundred dollar grant from their nominating CSI chapter (Upsilon Theta), and be recognized at the CSI Awards Ceremony with a plaque at the ACA Annual Conference and Expo. After a successful CSI Internship year, Painter will also receive a certificate of recognition at the 2017 CSI Awards Ceremony and an additional $600.

Amanda DeDiego, PhD student, and Alessandra Rhinehart, PhD candidate, have each been chosen as one of ten Chi Sigma Iota Leadership Fellows.

Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) is an international honor society that focuses on promoting academic and professional excellence in counseling. CSI was established in 1985 and was created for counselors-in-training, counselor educators, and professional counselors.

The CSI Leadership Fellows Program is a yearly award designed to cultivate and support graduate counseling students by developing their skills, network, and competencies as future counseling professionals in a changing, multicultural society.

DeDiego and Rhinehart will be attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) Annual Conference and Expo in Orlando, Florida next month. As CSI Leadership Fellows, they also will provide a minimum of fifty service hours on a CSI task force/committee, receive a $600 grant from CSI, receive a hundred dollar grant from their nominating CSI Chapter (Upsilon Theta), and be recognized at the CSI Awards Ceremony with a plaque at the ACA Annual Conference and Expo.

In Upsilon Theta, DeDiego acts as Workshop Chair planning professional development activities, at times partnering with other university organizations. Rhinehart has served as Secretary, President Elect, President, and is currently acting as Past President, advising the current President. She is also on the CSI International Awards Committee Panel.

Didego and Rhinehart expressed special excitement over their training at the ACA conference next month, because they will be learning from Presidents and CEOs from organizations such as the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).