I am current PSC student at ASU and wanted to say thank you to HPC for the rich educational history you have provided for so many students. Wendy Eckenrod-Green was my senior class counselor at North Wilkes HS in NC and the reason I was inspired to become a counselor. Thank you for what you do and the people you educate. Your graduates truly do help the studetns they work with. I am living proof!
Amee (Blackburn) Winters

Yep!  I am still in Kuwait...year 5!  Although I haven't been in the school working as a counselor for over a year.  I am enjoying the perks of being a stay at home mom!  Opal will be 2 next month and baby number 2 is due in early April!  Ry and and I are excited about our growing family and Opal is hoping for a baby "brudder".  We still see a move in our future in the next year or two but who knows where we will end up next!  I love spending time with the wee one but definately miss working with the students!

Hey Everyone!
This is the first time I have been on this part of the HPC website and I have to say that I really like being able to read about what everyone is up to.  After I graduated in 2005, I went to New Zealand to work as an Au Pair for a family for over a year.  It was a great experience!  When I returned to the states, I headed to Flagstaff, AZ and was hired at a high school as a School Counselor/Peer Mediation Instructor.  I had a blast with the kids and really enjoyed all the benefits of having a steady job!  Unfortunately, my physician was unable to find a cure for my Wanderlust!  Every holiday I was traveling somewhere around the world.. Zimbabwe, Vietnam, and back to New Zealand.  I left my school last summer with hopes of learning more about the homeless population.  I headed up the west coast and am currently in Portland, Oregon. 
I have a great transition job that allows me time in the day to volunteer downtown with the homeless youth.  It has been eye opening in so many ways. I am currently on the hunt for another "steady" job and have applied to several Universities in Colorado, Arizona, and California.  I am particularly interested in outreach and helping lower income, first generation students get into college.  Anyways, that is the short version of what I have been up to. 
You all sound like things have really unraveled nicely in your own lives and I hope that you are finding more joy than not in the job!  I would love to be in touch with you and can be reached at [url=javascript:main.compose('new','t=travelingmercies.erin@gmail.com')]travelingmercies.erin@gmail.com[/url]. 
Be Well.
--
< Traveling Mercies: "Love the journey; God is with you; come home safe and sound."

I graduated from the program in 2000. Since then...it's been a full life. I am married to an awesome guy and have two red headed boys (Caden, 6 and Bryson 4). The most recent news is that I recently won the outstanding teacher of the year at Radford University, where I now teach! I owe much of the award to the wonderful instructors at ASU and UNC-Charlotte. I am deeply grateful for the role models and teachers I have had in my life and for the lessons they have taught me, some of which were very hard at the time. I admire the teachers who taught me and my fellow students. I will always remember the impact you have had upon me.  Thank you.
Wendy Eckenrod-Green
 

Hello From Chris McIntyre,
I wanted to let everyone know how life is. I job hunted for over 7 months and I didn't have any luck. Well, recently I finally found a job at Woodleaf Elementary in Rowan Salisbury school system. So far after two hole days I am loving it. \
If you are like me and finding it hard to find a job, just hang in there and it will come.
Sincerely,
Christopher McIntyre

Hey everyone! It's Ashley Grant (May 09)...just checking in.  I am now in Greenville, SC at Woodmont HS.  The students started on Wednesday and now the fun begins.  I'll be working with freshman which is great because we are both new to the school.  So far I've been enjoying all the firsts of my first job: first office - which is awesome by the way, first faculty meeting, first parent meeting, first schedule, first schedule change, first day of school as an employee and not a student!!  Hope everyone is doing well. 
Take care!

Hello
After graduatation in December (08), I went to Ecuador to serve in an orphanage, women's prison and an international school and learn Spanish for six months. It was an absolutely amazing experience that was a dream come true! I am already trying to plan when I can return! I actually have cousins from Ecuador, so it was wonderful to get to know them and spend time with them as well. I just recently returned at the end of June and have been busily looking for a job! I spent about a month in Minnesota with my family and just recently made my way back to North Carolina. My hope is to find a PSC position in the surrounding Boone area, but am still looking everywhere. Please send me an email if you happen to be aware of anything! (keckstam@yahoo.com). I would also just love to hear how you all are doing!

Hey Laurie!
It's me, Scott Gramer.  How are you doing? Hope all is well.  I'm 
writing one, to say hey and update ya on my whereabouts, and two to 
ask you to pass along a job opening we have in our school for next year.
So, for the update, I'm in Ruidoso, New Mexico working with the 
principal I worked with when I left Boone to the Reservation in 
Montana, and, this past year I got married and had twins in 
December.  Yup, twins!  boy-n-girl...wholly smokes, sleep 
deprivation's a killer!
We are building a new middle school here and are looking for another 
counselor.  We will have a counselor for each grade and will loop 
with the students.  Our school is also making a transition to more of 
an experiential projected based team teaching model in which the 
counselor is an integral part of the team.
That's the quickie of it all.  I have attached the posting for the 
job.  My principal is familiar with ASU and our program and would 
like to find another ASU graduate looking for an exciting 
opportunity.  Apparently he likes my work and thinks there's more 
students like me coming from HPC @ ASU!
Well, gotta get goin'.  Hope all is well.  Tell everyone I said hey!  
BYE!
Scott  Gramer, M.A., NCC
School Counselor
Ruidoso Middle School
200 Horton Circle
Ruidoso, NM  88345
(575) 257-7324

Still in China!  everett(dot)dan@gmail.com
...although there have been reports that he is in Oman?? 2009
 

Hi everyone...this is Amanda (Greer) Cottrell (May 2005) and I am working as an academic school counselor in Alhambra, CA with middle school students. I love it! I got married this past summer and moved to Pasadena with my new husband, Matt. He is completing his MA in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. We're not sure where we'll end up when he graduates in June 2009! Hope everyone is doing well!
[url=mailto:amandacottrell@gmail.com]amandacottrell@gmail.com[/url]

Hello this is Amy Davis Minnick (summer 2005). I just wanted to let you all know of an elementary school counseling position coming open in my school system. I am in Washington County Public Schools. This is in Virginia, about an hour and 15 min. from Boone.
NC and VA do have reciprocal licensure but you have to apply and get provisional for two years if you never taught in the classroom. I did that and it is no problem. I was at a school board function today and was talking with the Assistant Superintendent and Director of Instruction at Central Office and we were discussing that position (someone is retiring) and he asked me if I knew anyone good, so I thought of no place better to post this than ASU. If you're looking for an elem. school counseling job and you wouldnt mind moving to VA, contact me at [url=mailto:aminnick@wcs.k12.va.us]aminnick@wcs.k12.va.us[/url] and I can get you more information on applying. Thanks and hope everyone is doing great!!

Hello Everyone,
After almost four years of living in Germany, I recently discovered that my family and I will be relocating to Colorado Springs by early May this year. I am happy to say that I was able to earn my LPC credential while living here. While finding a school counseling job in El Paso County is my top priority and my first choice, if I can't find a counselor opening in a school, I'm hoping that being a LPC will open doors for me. I see that there are approx. 65 ASU Alumni living in El Paso county and I'm wondering if any of them are reading this, and if they can help me with my job search, or if they can connect me with someone in the area who can. My family is excited about moving to Colorado and we plan on staying there for a long time. My current e-mail is still [url=mailto:corrie.sias@hotmail.com]corrie.sias@hotmail.com[/url] and I would appreciate any leads or information that might aide me in this process.
I also want to say to Laurie that I am glad you are back in Boone! It sounds like you had an experience you will never forget. I plan to stop through NC with my family towards the end of April before I make it to Colorado. My daughter is now 12 months old and growing up so fast. I would love to see some members of my ASU family who are still in or around Boone while I'm making my stops throughout NC (Boone is usually one of those stops so I'm pretty sure I can make it there again). I am forever grateful for all the support provided to me by the wonderful HPC faculty and my colleagues. I will be in touch. Thanks.

Greetings!  I continue to enjoy my work in HPC and look forward to the building of a new College of Education!  I always hope to see graduates each year at the NCSCA Conference and at our Spring In-Service.  Many graduates of the program are now our site supervisors!  We'd love to hear from you!  So take a moment and fill us in on your news.  Be sure to leave your email so we can get in touch with you!  Namaste'
**I am attaching the two most recent updates from our old webpage below...