{"id":24526,"date":"2025-05-16T13:55:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T17:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/?p=24526"},"modified":"2025-05-16T13:58:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T17:58:19","slug":"counseling-graduate-spotlight-myia-makupson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/counseling-graduate-spotlight-myia-makupson\/","title":{"rendered":"Counseling Graduate Spotlight &#8211; Myia Makupson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"373\" height=\"393\" src=\"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Myia-Makupson.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24527\" style=\"width:463px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Myia-Makupson.jpg 373w, https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Myia-Makupson-285x300.jpg 285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 373px) 100vw, 373px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>My Journey to Counselor Education at the University of Tennessee<\/strong><br>I\u2019m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and after completing my master\u2019s degree, I felt ready to begin a new chapter beyond my hometown. While working as a teaching assistant at Cleveland State University, a professor I deeply admired encouraged me to consider pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education. She told me she could see me becoming a professor in the field \u2014 a vision that stayed with me and ultimately shaped my path forward.<br>Initially, I explored Counseling Psychology programs, as that was the route I was most familiar with at CSU. However, when I discovered the Counselor Education program at the University of Tennessee, something immediately resonated with me. I attended an information session and was struck by UT\u2019s emphasis on real-world experience. At that point, I had been working as a sexual assault therapist for two years, and UT\u2019s values aligned perfectly with my own.<br>I decided to apply and was thrilled to be offered an interview. There was a moment of concern \u2014 I was scheduled to be in Iceland during the interview dates \u2014 but the faculty\u2019s flexibility and support were remarkable. They arranged a virtual interview, and during my conversations with faculty and students, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. It felt like home. I accepted the offer the very next day, confident that UT was where I was meant to be.<br>Looking back, choosing UT has been one of the best decisions I\u2019ve ever made.<br><br><strong>Influential Mentors<\/strong><br>Throughout my time at UT, many faculty members have been instrumental in my growth, but two individuals stand out: Dr. Casey Barrio Minton and Dr. Jordan Westcott. During moments of self-doubt and uncertainty, they consistently supported and believed in me. They challenged me when I needed it most and helped me recognize my potential. Their mentorship has been a cornerstone of my success and personal development.<br><br><strong>Research Inspired by UT<\/strong><br>Yes \u2014 my time at UT has deeply influenced my research interests. My dissertation is a Delphi study focused on identifying strategies to improve the retention of BIPOC faculty in Counselor Education. Once I complete my dissertation and analyze the data, I plan to implement these strategies in real-world settings. My goal is to evaluate their effectiveness and contribute to meaningful, lasting change in the field.<br><br><strong>Carrying UT Forward<\/strong><br>The skills and values I\u2019ve gained at UT will continue to shape my work moving forward. I\u2019ve learned how to be a creative, compassionate instructor and how to support students through both academic and personal challenges. I\u2019m especially passionate about building a strong sense of community in the classroom \u2014 something UT has taught me to do with authenticity and care.<br>This fall, I\u2019m excited to join West Virginia University as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Counseling and Well-being Department. I look forward to bringing everything I\u2019ve learned into this new role and continuing to grow as an educator and advocate.<br><br><strong>Words of Wisdom<\/strong><br>To those who follow: trust the process, even when it feels overwhelming. It\u2019s completely normal to question whether you belong \u2014 but you do. Keep showing up. Keep believing in yourself. There will come a moment when everything you\u2019ve worked for begins to click, and you\u2019ll realize, \u201cI can do this. I am doing this.\u201d Stay the course \u2014 your future is already unfolding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you Myia for sharing your story with us! To you and all other graduates, congratulations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My Journey to Counselor Education at the University of TennesseeI\u2019m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and after completing my master\u2019s degree, I felt ready to begin a new chapter beyond my hometown. While working as a teaching assistant at Cleveland State University, a professor I deeply admired encouraged me to consider pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":24527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24526","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Counseling Graduate Spotlight - Myia Makupson - Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/chdfs\/counseling-graduate-spotlight-myia-makupson\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Counseling Graduate Spotlight - Myia Makupson - Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My Journey to Counselor Education at the University of TennesseeI\u2019m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and after completing my master\u2019s degree, I felt ready to begin a new chapter beyond my hometown. 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