Alcorn psychology students participate in enrichment conferences
Alcorn State University’s psychology students attended the Mississippi Counseling Association’s (MCA) annual conference Nov. 4-6 at the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. This is the second year the Alcorn psychology students attended the annual conference. Rachel Granderson, Rayford Mullins, Angel Brinner, Yolanda Jackson, Ari’anna Magee, Ryshine Lucas, Justin Knight, and E’niya Rowry enjoyed a fulfilling educational experience. Some of the students stated they felt like “students today and counselors tomorrow.”
Many of the students were volunteer workers for the conference and also facilitators for some of the counselors. The students engaged in lectures that would better assist them with their studies.
Their professor, Dr. LaShawn Thompson, a member of MCA, accompanied these students. One of the students, Angel Brinner, designed a ribbon for her organization, Psychology Society. The organization donated the ribbon with all of the names of the people who donated to the Pink Heart Fund. Psychology Society donated $100 and the ribbon to the Pink Heart Fund Foundation at the MCA Conference. The Pink Heart Fund Foundation stated that the ribbon that was donated would be displayed in their Hall of Fame.
Rayford Mullins, a junior, psychology major and the president of Psychology Society, stated that the conference was very beneficial to his field of study.
“The MCA Conference allowed me to see the road I would have to travel to meet my desired career,” said Rayford. “I did a lot of networking with other counselors that I felt would be helpful to me as I pursue my endeavors”.
Mullins’ time at the MCA Conference was cut short due to another conference that was held in South Carolina. Rayford attended the Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell Behavioral Health Policy Academy in North Charleston, South Carolina. The conference allowed 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the United Stated to work toward an action plan that would better assist them with bringing up their schools.
President of Active Minds, La’Quita Williams joined Rayford Mullins on the conference along with Dr. Martha Ravola, the advisor of Active Minds. The students not only represented Alcorn, but the whole state of Mississippi, being the only HBCU in the state to attend.
“I was able to network with other HBCUs from around the United States,” said Mullins, “I was also able to conduct an action plan with some of the other colleges and universities.”
Rayford stated that the methods he learned in his group dynamic class at Alcorn allowed him to work better with others in a group setting.
