Clinical Mental Health Counseling Student at Husson University Wins ACA’s Essay Competition Grand Prize

Bangor, ME, May 18, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Each year, the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) “Tomorrow’s Counselors” essay competition recognizes graduate counseling students who demonstrate “exceptional insight and understanding about the counseling profession and the work of professional counselors in mental health, private practice, community agency, agency, organization or related counseling settings.”

This year’s grand prize winner was Husson University’s Beth M. Sharp. She is pursuing a Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling through the University’s School of Education. The School of Education is part of Husson’s College of Science and Humanities.

“I was honored to receive the grand prize for my essay, ‘May We Never Settle for Competence,’” said Sharp. “Part of my essay implored my fellow counseling professionals to seek a world where lives are both celebrated and valued. We must incorporate excellence into multicultural counseling by creating space for more voices at the table. Exploring multiculturalism through an inclusive and holistic lens is essential if we are to facilitate relationships where people are treated with dignity and respect.”

In addition to being named the 2023 grand prize winner, Sharp received a $1,000 honorarium and a complimentary registration to the 2023 ACA Conference and Expo. The expo ran from March 30 – April 1, 2023. Her essay will also be published in a future edition of Counseling Today, a magazine published by the American Counseling Association.

A panel of ACA and ACAF (American Counseling Association Foundation) leaders served as the judges for essay competition. Any student enrolled in a counseling-related graduate program in the fall of 2022 could submit an essay for consideration. All of the essayists also had to be student members of the American Counseling Association. Only one essay could be submitted by each ACA student member.

How well ideas were explained and supported was one of the criteria used by the judges to determine the winners. The objective was to determine how effectively the writers presented their views. The judges also considered how interesting the writers’ positions would be to the counseling community at large.

“Awards like this are a testament to the quality of counseling education available here at Husson University,” said Dr. Phillip A. Taylor, III, dean of the College of Science and Humanities at Husson University. “Students like Beth are why Husson University continues to be regarded as one of the best clinical mental health counseling educators here in Maine.”