Graduate Students
Dear fellow Graduate Students,
Being a part of the South Dakota Counselors Association has enriched my experience here in South Dakota as an international graduate student. Coming to South Dakota from the West Coast of Canada has helped me glean many new aspects and new viewpoints on life. These new outlooks on life will be taken with me into my professional counseling career. Becoming part of SDCA was one of the best things I did for myself as a new individual in the profession and the area. There were so many people who were willing to meet with me and share their experiences both here in South Dakota and throughout the nation and the world.
The SDCA Conference is a great place to meet contacts that graduate students need for their internship experiences and their careers to follow. I have made contacts who know counselors and therapists throughout Canada, which will enable me to seek guidance and familiarity wherever I go in my future career endeavors.
Last year it was my local chapter of SDCA, Lewis & Clark, that hosted the Conference in Sioux Falls. We were so involved with preparations and providing the proper guidance for members and attendees at the conference, that I was honored to cross paths with members I may not have otherwise met. I acted as a student moderator which furthered my contact with fellow SDCA members. Being a moderator created a new support group which blossomed into many new friendships. It was so much fun to meet people from across the state, whether they were fellow graduate students, or individuals seasoned in the profession.
I presented a poster at the conference last year as well, with one of my dear friends. This was a great opportunity to talk one-on-one with some of the counselors who were interested in the specific work my partner and I had done on self-harm. The knowledge that flowed from those who spoke with us caused me to truly feel honored to be a member of such a group of professionals. The amount of expertise that was represented at the conference was absolutely amazing. The friendliness that was portrayed was extremely heart-warming. Everyone was willing to help and talk with me about anything that was on your mind.
Last year at the conference, I was given the position as my local chapter's secretary/treasurer for the present year. This has allowed me to gain many new insights into how counselors in the area are able to learn from each other and help each other whenever the time arises. The experience of being the secretary for my chapter has enriched my experience as a part of the SDCA.
Along with your regular registration into the association, you can choose to receive newsletters from different areas of specialization. Examples include School Counseling, Native American Counselors Association, and the Association for Adult Development and Aging. Each of these groups share news stories and up coming events that will help to gain more insight into the specific area of counseling.
Thank you for your time, and I sincerely hope you become a member if you are not already a part of SDCA,
Leanne Dorish
USD Community Counseling Graduate Student
SDCA Member, Lewis & Clark Chapter Secretary/Treasurer