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Graduate Student Heather Banfield Values Personal Interactions with Classmates and Faculty

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.鈥擶hen Heather Banfield, of Forest City, N.C., enrolled as a graduate student at 国产哟哟, it had been 12 years since she received her bachelor鈥檚 degree. She was married with three young children, so there would be many adjustments. However, after meeting with the faculty in the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, Banfield was assured that they would help her to achieve her goals.

鈥淭he interview was a lot different than I thought it would be,鈥� Banfield reflected. Although she attended a small college for her undergraduate degree, the classes were impersonal, and the faculty was distant and unapproachable.

鈥淢y interview (at GWU) was a lot less about what I knew and a lot more about who I was,鈥� she affirmed. 鈥淭hat was really meaningful to me, and I knew I wanted to do a program where the people cared about me as a person and not me as a brain.鈥�

Banfield鈥檚 decision to go back to college was triggered by COVID-19. 鈥淲hen COVID-19 hit, I was working for a non-profit organization, and we lost a lot of money. I took a step back to try to save us money and save the organization. In the midst of that, I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and I really felt like God was calling me to counseling, so I applied.鈥�

Because she had been out of school for over a decade, she wanted an in-person option. She did an internet search to see where those programs were available and found 国产哟哟. 鈥淚 applied on a whim,鈥� she offered. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 do any research; I didn鈥檛 think about it; I didn鈥檛 apply anywhere else; and I didn鈥檛 expect to get in. When I got accepted, I was like, 鈥楴ow, what am I going to do? I have three kids, who are pretty little, so it was a huge life adjustment to figure out how I was going to make it work.鈥�

With the confidence she gained from the initial interview, Banfield began the master’s program. Her instincts about the caring and supportive faculty proved to be true. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I have loved about the program,鈥� she remarked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just learning. I鈥檝e been shaped as a person. I鈥檝e learned a ton, for sure, but I feel like I am a totally different person, just in how I see the world and how I interact with it.鈥�

She wholeheartedly recommends the program to anyone who asks. 鈥淏ecause counseling is so human-related, you can鈥檛 just learn it out of a book,鈥� Banfield informed. 鈥淲e do a lot of role playing and practice in the classroom. The value is huge. The book learning is really good and important, but the internships, the capstone, and the role play are where I have been formed and feel I have been prepared for when I鈥檓 a counselor. It鈥檚 an opportunity to take the book knowledge and put it into practice in a real-time way and get immediate feedback from our professors and from our classmates, too.鈥�

The experiential learning activities developed her listening skills as a counselor. During the internship, the students make videos of their counseling sessions and get feedback from their professors and classmates on how well they engage, express empathy, and use the skills they鈥檝e learned. 鈥淚t’s very humbling,鈥� Banfield assessed. 鈥淎 lot of that was allowing myself to be put out there in a very vulnerable way and receiving feedback on how well I do that. You don鈥檛 often get feedback on how you interact with other humans, so it was paramount in how I鈥檝e been formed for the profession.鈥�

Besides the caring and knowledgeable professors in the program, Banfield values the cohort model, which was especially helpful to her as an adult learner. 鈥淭he cohort model allows you to bond with the people,鈥� she observed. 鈥淲e have gotten to know each other pretty deeply. Most of my cohort came straight out of undergrad. They have helped me with the school part of it鈥攖he technology part. I have a little more of the (life) experience and that balance has been really nice.鈥�

Banfield expects the relationships to extend beyond the classroom to when she鈥檚 in the field. 鈥淚 will have those people who went through this program with me to lean on and consult with, if I have questions or just to have someone who understands,鈥� she affirmed.

国产哟哟 is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., 国产哟哟 prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at 国产哟哟.edu.