The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from ten of our programs who earned their degrees during the fall 2016 semester.

To see photos of our recent graduates, please go to the “EPC Graduates” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Alyssa Michelle Adorati
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

John Lyman Ayers
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Rochelle Butler
PhD in Counselor Education

Lakita Renae Dawston
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Amanda Christine DeDiego
PhD in Counselor Education

Melisa Renee Donahue
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Brittany Harris Elkins
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Raven Kirby Gibson
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Emily Carter Gray
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Collaborative Learning

Melissa Ann Harness
PhD in Education – Learning Environments and Educational Studies

DeAnna Lynn Hawtin
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Shannon Rae Huffman Frias
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Lena Karin Logan
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Courtney Myers McInturff
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Stacy Lynn O’Connell
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Cory Lemont Parker
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Annalise Christine Romeiser
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Roseanne Michele Sasso
PhD in Education – Instructional Technology

Emily Pendergrast Taylor
PhD in School Psychology

Jason Tyler
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Christina Valiquette
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Dammika Lakmal Walpitage
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Evaluation, Statistics & Measurement

Kevin Wayne Webster
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

David Austin Willis
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

*If you are one of the graduates listed above and would like to have your photo added to our EPC Graduates Facebook album, then please email your picture to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu.

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.

School Counseling

Sinead is currently seeking her MS in counseling, with a dual-track concentration in the School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs. Originally from Knoxville, TN, she received her BS in child and family studies and psychology at UT Knoxville, and joined EPC in 2015. We asked her to reflect on some past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Accomplishments

Volunteering at Pond Gap Community School: I created and lead a counseling group for children with incarcerated parents.

• Refer to Resume for additional details

Current Occupation

Youth Minister
Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan
Knoxville, TN

I am in my third year leading the youth programming at Good Samaritan. I coordinate educational, service, and recreational programs for the youth, and have implemented a social justice oriented curriculum that includes socially-responsible mission trips each summer.

Personal Interests

When I’m not at school I enjoy volunteering in the community (Children’s Hospital is my favorite!), spending time with friends exploring all the great things to do in Knoxville, and playing with my Italian Greyhound, Nelly.

Future/Vocational Goals

I hope to work with children who have experienced trauma and their families. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in the dual-track program here at UT, as it has offered me many different learning opportunities for working with children in elementary school, middle school, and community settings. One of the reasons I selected UT was the Grief Outreach Initiative and my experience with mentoring a grieving child was very influential.

What sold you on this program/department/university?

I applied to schools all over the country, but when it came down to my final decision, I was surprised to find that UT had more of the components I was looking for than any other school. The dual-track option was very important to me, as I know I want to work with children, but I am interested in having the holistic view of both school and community settings. I was surprised to find that many of the schools I was interested in did not offer this, and I kept realizing how unique UT was in offering this option. Additionally, the Grief Outreach Initiative and the graduate certificate in Grief, Loss, and Trauma was appealing. I plan to work with children experiencing those very issues, and having this certificate so easily available in the program was another draw. Finally, the opportunities to work with the University-Assisted Community Schools in the area was something that really made UT stand out. Having the opportunity to volunteer in local high-need schools and to really put my skills into practice in the real world has been immensely beneficial for me as a counselor in training.

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program/department?

I would tell an incoming student to be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities available to you through the program, department, and UT as a whole. There are so many events and activities that allow you to learn about a wide range of topics, connect with other students and faculty, and to engage with the community as a whole. Taking advantage of the many opportunities will allow you to stretch and challenge yourself, meet people who are different from you and to really make the most of your experience here. There is a lot you can learn at UT outside the classroom that will really inform the kind of counselor you will become.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Emily earned an MS in counseling with a concentration in the Mental Health Counseling program in 2009. Originally from Irmo, SC, she now lives in Knoxville, TN. We asked her to reflect on past experiences with EPC and discuss where she’s at now. Read her responses below.

Current Occupation

Outpatient Clinician
Helen Ross McNabb Therapy Center
Knoxville, TN

The Therapy Center provides individual and family services including trauma related treatment for individuals of all ages, in particular survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as well as other forms of abuse and neglect. I provide therapy for the child and adolescent referrals. I also coordinate the services provided under the Project Against the Sexual Abuse of Appalachian Children (PASAAC) grant we receive through United Way, which includes the facilitation of a psycho-educational support group for Non-Offending Parents and caregivers of children who have been sexually abused and other forms of community outreach.

Awards and Accomplishments Earned as a Student

I presented with Marianne Woodside and other selected students “It’s all about me: Viewing adolescent challenges through case studies” at the Smoky Mountain Counseling Association conference in September of 2008. I also served as secretary of Chi Sigma Iota in April of 2008 – 2009.

Accomplishments since Graduating

I recently participated in the “Child Sexual Abuse-Awareness, Prevention, and Response” video through my work with the Community Coalition to Protect Children, which was created by the Knox County School District to be used for training purposes with the Knox County School teachers.

Personal Interests

I love watching football, do it yourself projects, being outside and spending time with my dog, Folly. I got married to a good ole Tennessee boy at the end of October, and we hope to eventually re-locate to Charleston, SC with the rest of my family.

What sold you on this program?

What initially sold me on this program was the fact that the focus was on mental health counseling, instead of “community counseling” which was the title given to the degree at the other universities I was considering. I also realized that while it was a longer program, I was going to graduate fully prepared and certified to start my career as a counselor. However, I have to say that more important than what sold me on the program was what kept me in the program, which was the family type atmosphere created with the other individuals in my cohort, and the belief that the professors truly cared about me and wanted me to succeed.

What do you think was the most rewarding/challenging about this program?

I think that the most rewarding/challenging part of the program was finding and defining myself as an individual, as well as a mental health counselor. It can be quite the daunting task to examine and challenge personally held beliefs and values, however it is a necessary task in order for one to develop a sense of self and where this self fits into the counseling profession.

Did you end up where you thought you would?

I thought I would be working with adults at this point in my career, in particular criminal offenders because in school that was where my interests lay. I thought that I could never work with children because it would just be too hard. However, my job led me to families which ultimately caused my supervisor and myself to come to the conclusion that I have an uncanny ability to reach and work with children. I am glad that the program provided me with enough education and sense to see that children and adolescents who have experienced abuse and neglect was my true calling, many of whom without the help face a higher probability of turning to a life of crime.

There is a certain sense of pride you feel when you come across another person who has been through the program, and the question that usually follows is “Spurgeon, Diambra, or Cochran?”

The Professional Orientation and Ethics poster presentation session is on November 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the second floor Claxton Atrium.

MS students from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs will present of the following topics: Confidentiality for Minors in K-12 Schools, Implications of Reporting Child Abuse on the Therapeutic Relationship, B.2.C. and HIV Ethics and Effectiveness of Online Counseling, and Ethical and Legal Implications of Counseling Through End-of-Life Decisions.

The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from nine of our programs who earned their degrees during the summer 2016 semester.

To see photos of our recent graduates, please go to the “EPC Graduates” album on our EPC Facebook page.

Frederick Lagmay Acosta
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Valerie Karen Ambrose
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Sheri K. Anderson
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Karen Lea Baker
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Breanna Paige Banks
PhD in Counselor Education

Dareen Basma
PhD in Counselor Education

Megan Amber Blonder
PhD in School Psychology

James Call
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Anthony Lavern Capers Jr.
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Jamie Michelle Cyphers
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Andrea McMahan Damewood
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Sherrie Lynn Fairchild-Keyes
MS in Education – Cultural Studies of Educational Foundations

Lynda M. Forrester
MS in Educational Psychology – Applied Educational Psychology

Elizabeth Ann Hays
PhD in School Psychology

Taotao Long
PhD in Education – Instructional Technology

Ashley Rai Roberts
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Joel Eddie Simmons Jr.
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Adam Forrest Stephens
PhD in Counselor Education

Cheryl Ann Tays
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Eleanore Claire Trant
PhD in School Psychology

Laurie Ann Wade
MS in Counseling – Rehabilitation Counseling

Tiffany Lynn Watson
PhD in School Psychology

Beth Ann White
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Destiny Nichole White
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

*If you are one of the graduates listed above and would like to have your photo added to our EPC Graduates Facebook album, then please email your picture to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu.

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.