Student Profile: Kyree Hall
Name: Kyree Hall
Current degree program:I am a first-year student in the Counselor Education program at East Carolina University, specializing in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling.
Previous degrees: I previously attended Winston-Salem State University and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts. My major was psychology and minor in sociology.
Hometown: High Point, NC
Hobbies/interests: I enjoy listening to music, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Additionally, going to parks to admire nature and traveling.
What drew you to pursue your current degree?
My passion is helping improve the importance of mental health in collegiate athletics. I was a student-athlete at my undergraduate institution and experienced a lack of stressing mental health for student-athletes on my campus because of mental toughness. I want to bring awareness to this topic and advocate for student-athletes so they can know how to ask for counseling services when they need them.
What is your favorite thing about counselor education?
One of my favorite things about being a counselor educator is that it is a hands-on experience of helping people grow, develop and reach their goals. I genuinely enjoy being helpful to others and while doing that I get to work with people from different cultural backgrounds, working to change the overall stigma of counseling. I want more people to see and learn the benefits to counseling services, especially the youth and young adults.
What brought you to ECU?
The Counselor Education program director came to my undergrad senior seminar and spoke highly of the program. She talked about how students in their program often graduate with job offers, additionally stating that there were assistantships opportunities in the program. I was able to come on as a graduate assistant in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions in the College Education, where I work hands-on with professors in my program. This is an advantage because they help me network with professionals in the counseling field. Additionally I am able to ask them questions about classes, my career path and learn first about scholarships, grants and research opportunities.
Do you have any advice for students looking to pursue a degree in education?
There are three things that I would tell students who are interested in pursuing a degree in counselor education. The first is to be open to new ideas and experiences because you can learn something from all backgrounds. The next is ask questions when you do not understand something or want to know more. Lastly, believe in yourself and have self-care routines for yourself because you can not help someone if you are not okay. Overall these skills will help you be a better advocate for the population you are interested in working with.