Looking Ahead: Spring 2022 Class Scheduling

Written by Tina McNamara

Now that we are half through the fall 2021 semester, it’s time to start thinking about next semester.  Meeting with your advisor to plan your spring courses is an opportunity for the two of you to make sure you are on track with satisfying your requirements. Here are some other tips and suggestions to keep in mind as you prepare to meet with me or your other academic advisor:

Print out and review a copy of your Graduation Checklist*

The report includes your current GPAs, number of credits completed, and the specific requirements for your majors, minors, and the Marquette Core Curriculum. Bring your Graduation Checklist with you to your appointment and be sure to ask any questions you have about your requirements.   

*Find this report in CheckMarq

Review your midterm grades. 

Be prepared to discuss any academic challenges you are experiencing. Although mid-term grades often only reflect the grade on one test or one paper, it’s a good idea to address any course concerns right away.

Complete and bring with you a Declaration of Major form if you haven’t declared your second major.

Once your major is officially declared, those requirements will appear on your Graduation Checklist.  You will also be assigned an advisor in that major who can provide additional support and guidance as you work toward finishing your degree.

Think about whether you want to take a J-term and/or summer class. 

Taking a J-term or summer course can help you stay on track or lighten your course loads.  The College of Education is offering EDUC 4000 during J-term.  Since that course is required for all Education majors, taking it during J-term might be a good option for you.  Marquette also offers several online and in person courses in the summer.  Talk with your advisor about whether there are any courses you might want to plan for summer.

Think about whether you would like to study abroad. 

Whether you would like to study abroad during a semester or in the summer, it’s important to start planning now for that experience.  Go to the Study Abroad website to begin looking into options.

Start putting classes in your shopping cart. 

You don’t have to wait until after your advising appointment or until it’s time for you to register to start planning your schedule.  You can always adjust your cart later if you need to.  You can use Class Search to help you find courses that satisfy requirements for Discovery Tier themes, meet at certain times, or have other specific characteristics.

If there isn’t time to talk about everything you want to discuss during your appointment (most are only scheduled for 20 minutes), you can always schedule another meeting.  Since all Education majors are required to meet with their advisor before they register, make sure you get your appointment scheduled soon. To schedule an appointment with me, please go to my Calendly link.

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Tina McNamara is the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Advising and Student Services in the College of Education. Interested in learning more about undergraduate or graduate programs in the College of Education? Visit us online today!

Conexiones: Cristo Rey Trailblazers at Marquette

Casey Lopez. ’24
Shelving books in the Hartman Literacy and Learning Center in the College of Education

By Saúl López

The Hartmann Literacy and Learning Center has served as a space for teaching, research, and service for Marquette students for more than 29 years. But for Casey Lopez, Freshman in the College of Health Sciences, the Hartmann Center has become a home. Casey started working at the Hartmann Center through the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey Milwaukee when she was a freshman in high school. Casey worked at the Hartmann Center for all of her time throughout high school, with the only exception being her Senior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The Corporate Work Study Program allows students to gain valuable on the job and professional skills in real-life settings by having Cristo Rey students work one day a week in their placement site. Casey says that her experience in the work study program helped her push herself, make connections, and get acquainted with campus from an early age. 

A typical day for Casey at the Hartmann Center includes checking in books, making sure books are well organized at the Center, and sanitizing the books so they can be ready to be checked out. Along with this, Casey helps with everything and anything staff may need help with such as making copies and decorating spaces. During her time at the Hartmann Center Casey stated that she gained time management skills as well as organizational skills that helped her transition to college. For Casey, working at the Hartmann Center helped her connect and develop a personal network of support. It was Casey’s time at Marquette and in the Center that ended up being a big factor to when choosing a university. As she puts it, “I’ve always been like very family oriented. I didn’t want to go that far. I’ve been here since my freshman year [of high school]. So, I have familiar faces. I know that like, if anything, a question or any doubts or any help that I might need, I know that there’s someone like Courtney…And I like really appreciate that.” 

For Courtney McNeal, Program Coordinator of the Hartmann Center getting to see Casey grow both as a student and a person fills her with so much joy. “Casey is so much more confident in who she is. I love hearing about how her family is doing, how Mocha (their family dog) is coping with Casey being away at Marquette, how her brother is enjoying Cristo Rey and soccer, and when Casey goes home for the night and forgets to bring back her shampoo to the residence hall.” 

And for Courtney, Casey is a reminder of why she enjoys having Cristo Rey students in the Hartman Center and in the College of Education. She always tries to show them around campus, taking them to the Commons and other dining halls. One of Courtney’s favorite parts is taking “students to campus events like Soup for Substance and giving them a glimpse into what else life at college might look like for them… and introduce them to as many different people as possible from all over campus so that when they attend college, whether it is Marquette or another institution, they feel more confident and comfortable having had similar experiences in the past”. These “little things” that Courtney does with the Cristo Rey student workers have a profound impact, and Casey touched upon it during her interview.

“Honestly, I’m really happy [to be working with Courtney]. I’m really thankful. [Courtney] is  super nice and super caring… I love her. And she’s just so awesome. [Thanks to her] I’ve learned to meet [people] like you and [encouraged] me out there to go to workshops, and meet new  people and make connections. Courtney guided me through Marquette. And coming back and being able to like to work with her is nice. I can like always talk to her. I’m glad to be back.” 

Now, as Casey reflects on her favorite part of working at the Hartmann Center she says that “those simple like smiles and little waves” from everyone who walks through the space makes her feel loved and like she belongs. And when Casey is having “bad days” a simple smile can turn her day around.  Even if it’s something small like knowing how someone’s day is going or that the Hartmann Center is more than just a job at this point. 

Casey hopes to be a pediatrician one day. She is currently majoring Biology and is busy with classes. She knew she wanted to help children and her community from a very young age and give back to her community. “I feel like I’m gifted with knowledge [and this opportunity] and have guidance from God.  I feel like I can accomplish this and get through [college]. I’m being guided and provided with the knowledge, and I want to go out and help others”. But for now, Casey likes to spend time talking about college, life, and simple things with her friend and supervisor Courtney.

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Learn more about Casey’s time at the Hartmann Center in our previous blog about her from 2017.

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Want to learn more about the Hartman Literacy and Learning Center, the  undergraduate or graduate programs in the College of Education? Visit us online today!

Reflections on Summerfest and Our “Return to Normal”

Written by Kathryn Rochford

Kathryn is a senior in the College of Education majoring in Secondary Education and English Language Arts with a minor in Spanish and a concentration in Innovation Leadership. From Morton, IL, Kathryn enjoying reading, writing, watching Netflix, exercising, and hanging out with friends.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned more than anything over this past year and a half, it’s that I’ve never seen us as a human species long for connection, for intimacy, for an old sense of “normalcy” like we have. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been somewhat fun to romanticize about the way things used to be before this pandemic. I know things weren’t great, in fact this time has only highlighted how much injustice there is that still needs to be addressed in this world. But as we return to an altered state of normalcy again, I can’t help but feel hopeful and changed by all we’ve experienced.

I think it’s the little joys that I missed the most over this past year and a half. Being in fully in-person classes, being able to go out to eat again, hanging out with friends and seeing the world slowly get back in motion, have me sitting back and reflecting more than I ever used to. This past year was undoubtedly a time for us to slow down as a society and consider what really mattered to us, both individually and societally. In these small moments of joy, I sometimes sit and look up at the sky and say a silent prayer of gratitude for being able to experience all this again. There was a time not too long ago where I thought it’d be years before we reached this point again.

I was fortunate enough over these past few weeks to attend Summerfest for the first time. And, wow, what a year it was to be a first timer. My first real interaction with large crowds again, coupled with my favorite thing to do (go to concerts), instilled in me this sense that I was dreaming. I mean, up until a short time ago, it all seemed like something I’d only be able to experience in a dream. At least for a while, that is.

What I was not expecting was to get super emotional when being at these concerts. I went to Miley Cyrus and Wiz Khalifa with my friends and there were two songs in particular that had me in tears. The first was Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” that features Charlie Puth. I know this song is supposed to be about sharing memories and stories with a family member or friend who has died and looking forward to the day you reunite with them. However, I couldn’t help but feel that it applied to our current situation as well. I joke with my friends that it feels like we’ve aged a decade in this past year and a half, and in a way, I feel so far away from the girl who left campus in March of 2020 ready for a spring break. The quarantine and time away from our loved ones helped us recontextualize what it meant to be loved and feel connected. We longed to see each other again and catch up on life, on all the craziness we’ve endured. That sense of unity in the crowd in hearing thousands of people sing that song was truly soul-inspiring. I missed my people. I missed the way concerts can lift you up and transport you into a sort of other-worldly place. I missed the pure joy that comes from singing an artist’s song back to them and seeing them get emotional about it.

The second song that really hit home for me was Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb”. To be fair, I’ve been a fan of hers since I was a little girl watching Hannah Montana with her friends, so this concert was a dream come true in other ways as well. However, this song has always managed to touch me in a way as she sings about the obstacles we overcome and the way that our life is a journey of facing our fears, our doubts, and our worries about what others will say about us in order to rise and become the best versions of ourselves. This past year and a half has been a hell of a climb, but I feel like we’re almost on the other side of it. We still have work to do obviously, and we need to remain vigilant, but the high vaccination rates on campus and the lifting of some travel restrictions feels like a hell of a light at the end of the tunnel for what we’ve all been facing. Hearing Miley sing this and hearing the echoes of thousands of other people singing this song honestly hit me harder than I was expecting, and I couldn’t help but cry as I stood there with my friends. The simple beauty of it all took my breath away.

Perhaps this time with the world on a standstill has given us the space to reflect like we should have been doing all along. These small pockets of joy and gratitude we create for ourselves bring meaning to what can seem like dark days at the time. Surrounding ourselves with people we love and working to overcome even the smallest of obstacles are what make our journeys of life worth living and fighting for. Here’s to making the climb count.

Summerfest 2021, thank you for instilling in me those moments of gratitude and pockets of joy. Thank you for the lessons you taught me. As for now, I’ll just remain in my post-concert fog and keep replaying the same songs over and over again. Summerfest 2022, I’m ready for you.

You might remember Kathryn from an earlier Marquette Educator blog post from April 2019 which was written during Kathryn’s first year at Marquette and in the College of Education!

Self-Care Corner

Written by Tessa Miskimen

Tessa Miskimen is a second-year graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the department of Counseling Education Counseling Psychology (CECP) within the College of Education. She is completing her internship at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Outpatient Behavioral Health and is the secretary of the CECP Graduate Student Organization (GSO).

Earlier this month, Tessa asked CECP Assistant Professor, Dr. Karisse Callender, about her own self-care routines and any suggestions she may have for CECP students. This content was previously featured in the Self Care Corner in the CECP GSO October Newsletter and has been reproduced here with permission from the author.

Tessa Miskimen: What are your favorite ways to engage is self-care?

Karisse Callender: This can be a long list because my self-care practices rotate depending on what I need or what is happening in my life. However, there are some practices that are consistent.

• Spending quality time with my loved ones
• Setting boundaries
• Being in nature
• Appointments with my counselor
• Baking
• Reading
• Making my bed each morning
• Quiet mornings drinking tea/coffee while looking out at the trees
• Ashtanga yoga practice

TM: What suggestions do you have for those struggling to incorporate self-care into their daily life?

KC: Keep it simple and keep it unique to you. The ways we choose to take care of ourselves may look different, and that is okay. The important thing is that whatever activities or practices you engage in should be healthy and helpful to regulate and improve your quality of life. These practices don’t have to always, or ever be, big or expensive. It can be simple things like taking an extra-long shower, going for an annual health check-up, drinking water, exercising, or just taking a nap!

Sometimes self-care becomes complicated when we try to do too much, too soon. Or try to always do activities out of obligation, or because we think it’s what others want to see, instead of really enjoying what we do. Ask yourself, what am I already doing that’s a healthy behavior that helps me to survive, stay well, and get through each day? I encourage you to have a personal definition of what it means to take care of yourself.

TM: Since we can’t hear it enough, remind us why is it so important for counselors to engage in self-care?

KC: Think about a time, in the past year, when you felt burnout, overwhelmed, stressed, or unhappy in your personal life and answer this question honestly: how present were you when sitting with your client/student/patent/consumer?

While I think we can learn how to separate our personal and professional experiences, it is not always helpful to ignore or dismiss the experiences. It eventually becomes increasingly challenging to show up (mentally, emotionally, and physically) for others when we have difficulty doing the same for ourselves. I do want to dismiss the false narrative that as counseling professional who should have “no problems” or just know how to “deal with it” – I want to say a firm “NO” to that. We all experience challenges on various levels, however when we don’t take the necessary steps to address the various issues or concerns in our personal lives, it can influence the lens through which we view others. Similarly, when we don’t address work related stressors, it can impact our personal lives. I encourage you to view the ways you take care of yourself as behaviors that can help you to sustain a meaningful career and a fulfilled life!

Interested in more self-care content?

Visit Dr. Callender’s website Well and Mindful or sign-up to receive a monthly newsletter for additional insights into personal wellbeing, mindfulness, and coping skills.

What is the CECP GSO?

The Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Graduate School Organization (CECP GSO) is a group that brings together graduate students, both master’s and doctoral, to help students develop personally and professionally, and improve the program. The organization is used to relay information relevant to CECP students’ education and training, to organize meetings in professional and social settings. These opportunities include: The Mentor/Mentee Program, Professional Development Conferences, Diversity Group Meetings, Social Events, Diversity Gala, and Community Events.

Interested CECP students should apply online or pick up a form at the CECP Office, SC 150.

Getting to Know the College of Education’s New Dean, Dr. Heidi Bostic

Dean Heidi Bostic

In July, Dr. Heidi Bostic became Dean of the College of Education at Marquette, adding this to her existing role as Dean of the Klinger College of Arts & Sciences. Dean Bostic comes from a family of educators, and she considers herself first and foremost a teacher. Recently, Courtney McNeal sat down with Dr. Bostic to learn more about her leadership and her vision for Education at Marquette. 

Courtney McNeal: What are some of the things you are most excited about in this new role? 

Heidi Bostic: There are so many things that make this a wonderful opportunity. Among them are working with our Education colleagues to develop and increase enrollments in our thriving programs and fostering even stronger relationships with other units across campus, including the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences. I’m also looking forward to exploring ways to strengthen the Catholic, Jesuit educational experience for students, including through our celebration of the Ignatian Year. 

CM: Recently, we held the College of Education’s Welcome Back Recess event. I was so excited to see our new and returning students, some of them for the first time. As someone who joined the University and took on Deanship of the College of Education during the ongoing pandemic, how did that event feel for you?  

HB: It was a truly joyful opportunity to come together as a community and get to know one another better. A number of students mentioned that they appreciated the snacks, games and fellowship and that they hope we will hold additional events like this throughout the semester. The beautiful weather helped to make it great! 

Dean Bostic and current students at the College of Education’s Welcome Back Recess event.

CM: What do you see as the direction of the College of Education? 

HB: We need to highlight and celebrate the many successes of our faculty, staff, and students. We need to continue to strengthen the robust trajectory that the College is on. I am particularly proud of the public-facing impact of the teaching, learning, research, and service in the College. We are part of the fabric of Milwaukee and help to make our community stronger. Part of that is the College’s enduring commitment to fostering a more just and equitable world, in line with Marquette’s mission of pursuing social justice.  

CM: How about your vision for the College? 

HB: I think of a vision as a vivid mental picture of what success will look like in one year, in five years, in ten years and beyond. The vision is something we will all have to work together to create. Today, what I would say is that the vision includes fully engaged and flourishing faculty, staff, and students. It includes robust enrollments, partly thanks to a new online option for Master’s students. It includes continued excellence and heightened visibility around the incredible talent of our faculty and students. And it features widespread understanding of the centrality of Education programs to the Catholic, Jesuit mission of Marquette University. 

CM: It sounds like you are excited to lead the College of Education and to facilitate the continued growth of our programs. 

HB: As I have come to know colleagues in Education, I am just amazed by the talent and accomplishments. Our faculty are garnering major grants, publications, and honors. They are entrepreneurial in developing new curricula. They bring their expertise to bear in the wider world. Our staff, like the faculty, are deeply committed to student success and facilitating the work of the College. Our students seek a meaningful life path, both personally and professionally. It’s an honor and a privilege to accompany these students as they are formed to Be The Difference both now and after graduation. 

CM: Thank you for sharing a little about yourself, your vision for the College of Education, and the opportunities you see on the horizon.  

HB: I see a very bright future for Education at Marquette! 

Student Affairs Practica as a Path to Vocational Identity

Written by Chelsey Tennis (they/them)  

While graduate students in the Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) program may have entered the field through undergraduate work experience, such as being a resident assistant, orientation leader, or tour guide for their campus, once in the program, students realize there are a plethora of other roles and passions involved in student affairs. Every office on a college campus can have a Student Affairs professional on their team, meaning graduate students often have a lot of ground to cover when deciding which functional area they can see themselves working in after graduation. Along with understanding what career branches are available, SAHE students learn about the world of research interests, intersections of passion and talents, and how their other goals and values fit into the higher education frame. 

To help with this search for one’s vocational identity, prospective student affairs professionals pursue experience in the field through semester long practica. These immersive environments are often rich with opportunities to learn new skills and perspectives, explore different functional areas, or to bridge the gap between one’s interests and experience. Each SAHE student is required to have at least one practicum which is coupled with a three-credit class, and a second practicum is highly encouraged. These experiences in the field often shape vocational identity, leading students to learn about themselves as leaders along with sharpening the hard and soft skills necessary in student affairs. 

This summer, practica experiences have taken the 2022 SAHE cohort across the network of Milwaukee higher education systems and out into the continental USA. This tradition of holding a summer practicum is one that has been shared by all the Marquette SAHE cohorts, some of which are still working at Marquette today.

I talked to SAHE alums Graicey Van Spankeren (she/her, class of 2018), Caty Frehe (she/her, class of 2021), and Jess Burkart (she/her, class of 2013) about how their hands-on experiences impacted their vocational journey. Here are some takeaways from those conversations. 

Left to right: Graicey Van Spankeren, Caty Frehe, and Jess Burkart.

Q: How has a hands-on professional experience impacted your vocational journey? 

Caty: I’ve always wanted to work in academic advising, and I’m so blessed that my assistantship (working with University Assessment) has given me the tools I need to successfully navigate and collaborate with academic affairs. However, I worried I wouldn’t be able to effectively work with students and support them. My practica filled this gap with direct supervisory experience alongside students and helping them in ways that support academic and vocational discernment (for example, in Student Wellness our team helped students identify and implement wellness programming that fit their personal and academic experiences/backgrounds). I feel much more confident working and engaging with students than before my practica. 

Graicey: As an undergraduate student, I was first keyed into student affairs as a career while studying abroad in Paris for a semester – just having that experience allowed me to see a new field of possibilities. Another hands-on learning moment was when I was working as a grant writer for a museum: though the institution matched my personal values, the day-to-day responsibilities did not fit how I wanted to work. That grant writing position allowed me to learn more about what I wanted to do with my professional skills and how I wanted to spend my day at work. 

Jess: While in the SAHE program, I was able to create my own practicum experience position where I was able to pursue my interest in vocational discernment further. I was working as a Graduate Hall Director for my assistantship [note: another avenue for hands-on experience graduate students can hold during the academic year], but I wanted to explore this interest of mine further. Luckily, I was able to work with my practicum supervisor to build this opportunity, which has been a part of my professional world in some way since. 

Q: What is some advice to anyone who may be unsure of where to go next in their career or passion area? 

Caty: I would highly recommend seeking out practica that are outside of your realm of experiences and ones that can support development in areas and skills you haven’t had the opportunity to grow yet. 

Graicey: Taking small moments of action, such as meeting with professionals in your field, networking with alums, or trying an internship in a new functional area can help give you new perspectives if you are feeling stuck. 

Jess: Take time to listen to the emotional parts of decision making – the heart ache, the goosebumps, the gut reactions. These small moments help make meaning in the moment and can add to the conversation when we reflect on our decisions after the fact. 

Lastly, in the spirit of sharing such experiences that can be the difference in our professional path, here are some on campus opportunities for undergraduate students and graduate students to continue their vocational journey: 

• Meet with an expert from the Career Services Center, especially for graduate students to talk through post-graduation planning, what to expect in interviews, and how to confidently share your experiences 
• Stay connected even after graduating – the Marquette’s Career Services Center offers their services to alumni along with current undergraduate and graduate students.
• Undergraduate students can sign up for a cohort-based leadership development through the Office of Engagement and Inclusion’s leadership programming. For first or second-year students, the Cardoner Scholars focuses on deepening leadership skills and elevating the transformative Marquette Education, while juniors and seniors can take part in the Arrupe Ambassadors program, which focuses on social justice, vocation, and reflection 
• This year is the Ignatian Year, the 500th anniversary of when Ignatius the soldier was injured by a cannonball in the Battle of Pamplona. This year across campus, there will be events and opportunities to reflect on one’s purpose, especially vocationally and spiritually 

LGTBQ+ Inclusive Resources for Classroom and Curriculum

Written by: Chelsey Tennis (they/them/theirs)

Happy LGBTQ+ Pride month everyone! Each June, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community remembers its history, celebrates its global family, and organizes for positive change. In the first quarter of 2021, the United States saw an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+, especially anti-transgender, bills being proposed, a sign that the fight for LGBTQ+ equity and social justice is still far from over. These anti-LGBTQ+ bills and sentiments do not reflect Marquette University’s Catholic Jesuit values, especially our commitment to human dignity and diversity. 

Education is a crucial part of LGBTQ+ advocacy and social justice. Though most classrooms are empty during the month of June, that does not mean that teachers and professors cannot bring pride into the academic year. Students who learn in an inclusive classroom often relate to curriculum better, feel more confident in participating in class, and are more successful due to the teacher’s ability to connect and engage with them. 

Building an inclusive classroom or curriculum does not have to be a complete overhaul of one’s lesson plans; even including different family structures or pronouns in examples or word problems is a great start. There are many resources at Marquette to help educators at all levels and in all subjects build a more inclusive campus. Here are a few: 

• The LGBTQ+ Resource Center (AMU 140) has a small lending library of LGBTQ+ literature, including an early education section filled with k-6 age-appropriate books that introduce gender expression, gender identity, pronoun usage, and inclusive family structures 
• The Raynor Memorial Libraries has an online LGBTQ Resources search guide to support scholars researching LGBTQ+ topics, historical or contemporary 
• Attend a Safer Spaces training offered by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Each session can be catered to its audience (whether you register with a group or as an individual) and aims to build a network of LGBTQ+ allies engaged in ongoing discussions of creating a more inclusive climate on campus 
• See if one of the Interdisciplinary Gender and Sexualities Studies (INGS) classes fits into your Core Curriculum requirements. INGS classes promote a critical, feminist, intersectional and cultural understanding of gender, sexuality and power in a global context and across disciplinary boundaries 
• Check out the inclusive teaching resources that the Center for Teaching and Learning has collected – these resources include course design, inclusive online classrooms, and seeking inclusion for not only LGBTQ+ identities, but creating inclusive classrooms for other marginalized identities and those with mental health concerns

Bridging Latinx Studies and Education: Dr. Julissa Ventura Teaching NEW Latinx Education Course this Fall!

Dr. Julissa Ventura

This fall, Dr. Julissa Ventura, is looking forward to teaching a newly designed course that will examine the Latinx student experience through an educational context. The course will engage Marquette undergraduate and graduate students in understanding the challenges that Latinx students face in schools as well as how Latinx communities have resisted and transformed inequitable educational policies and practices.  

This is a course that Dr. Ventura has been wanting to teach for a long time based on her research with Latinx communities. She has found that while there is a growing demographic of the Latinx population across the United States, K-12 schools and institutions of higher education are still not attending to the needs and desires of Latinx students. In this course, Marquette students will examine social, cultural, and political constructions of Latinx youth, families, and communities in educational discourse, research, and policy. According to Dr. Ventura, “We will explore the challenges that Latinx communities face due to the historical, social and political context that shapes educational policy and practice, we will also identify strategies, tools, and efforts Latinx communities have taken up in transforming our educational system.”  

Dr. Ventura’s research and courses like this are particularly important as Marquette University works to become a Hispanic Serving Institution.  For Latinx students on campus, the course will be a way to contextualize and build upon their own experiences. As a community of learners, all students in the course will have the opportunity to engage with a variety of topics such as historical and current school segregation, immigration and transnationalism, students’ linguistic and cultural practices and more.  

One of the aspects of the course that Dr. Ventura is most excited about is the community-based project where Marquette students will work with Latinx youth in Milwaukee. Students will connect with high schoolers about once a week, either in person or virtually, to engage in research and policy proposals in a school or community-based organization. It is important that in a course that engages with Latinx educational issues, our learning is not limited to the Marquette classroom, but also goes out into our vibrant Milwaukee Latinx community.  

Artist: Favianna Rodriguez

Dr. Ventura hopes this course will draw in Marquette students who are interested in ethnic studies, education, and social justice. It aligns with the curricular steps that Marquette is taking to provide a more equity-oriented and diverse curriculum. This course is also not just for education majors/minors but would also be a great fit for students in the Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences and all students who seek to learn more about Latinx communities and how to transform educational space for our Latinx students to thrive!  

EDUC 4600/5600 Latinx Education: Challenges and Possibilities will be offered on Mondays from 4:30 – 7:10 PM this fall semester and is open to undergraduate and graduate students. For more information on how to enroll in the course please contact Tina McNamara via email tina.mcnamara@marquette.edu or phone (414) 288-6981.

PTSD Awareness Month

Written by Dr. Karisse Callender

June is Post-traumatic Stress Awareness (PTSD) month and I want to raise some awareness about PTSD while also acknowledging and honoring the ongoing events around the pandemic, racism, discrimination, and injustice.

So, what is PTSD?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops because of something terrifying, scary, life-threatening or dangerous. PTSD can also develop because of natural disasters, combat, accidents, sexual violence, torture, and domestic violence. It’s important to know that you can develop PTSD as a result of experiencing these events directly (personally experienced the event/situation) or by witnessing (it was done to someone else). PTSD can happen to anyone, at any time, in any place, and under various circumstances, however not everyone will meet criteria for PTSD. Some persons may have mild to moderate distress and others may have more severe and longer lasting symptoms. The way PTSD symptoms are expressed may vary across individuals. Trauma may also be passed down through generations (e.g., intergenerational trauma) and we cannot ignore the role of racism in the development of trauma symptoms (e.g., race related trauma).

Some signs and symptoms of PTSD may include:

• Being scared or easily startled
• Sleep difficulty (unable to sleep or reoccurring nightmares)
• Flashbacks or bad memories of the event for an extended period
• Not wanting to talk about the traumatic event or unable to remember important aspects of the event
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling detached, numb
• Avoiding routine activities
• Inability to experience happiness or loving feelings
• Avoiding reminders of the event (e.g., places, people, conversations)

If you experience these signs/symptoms for more than 1 month, please consider talking to a licensed mental health provider to be appropriately assessed for a trauma related diagnosis. You can reach out to a licensed professional anytime you believe these signs/symptoms are disrupting your daily life, even before the 1-month timeframe. Some of these licensed providers include counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. Before you schedule an appointment, you have a right to ask the potential mental health provider about credentials and experience working with trauma survivors. Some individuals may also reach out to a leader or trusted person within their religious or spiritual community for additional support.

References & Resources:

NIMH, Mayo Clinic, US Dept. of Veterans Affairs, NAMI, American Psychiatric Association, World Health Organization, American Counseling Association, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

***This information does not replace professional mental health services and is not a diagnostic tool. This information is provided for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to your local health care providers or call 911

A Word About Our CECP Diversity Scholarship

By Matthew Hennessey

My name is Matthew Hennessey, and I am the 2020 recipient of the Diversity Scholarship from the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (CECP) Graduate Student Organization (GSO).

The Diversity Scholarship is intended to reflect and support the value of racial and ethnic diversity in the CECP department. I was initially hesitant to apply for the scholarship. Although I support any effort to promote racial/ethnic diversity, I did not feel qualified to apply. I am biracial (half Indian/half Irish), and I did not feel racially or ethnically “diverse enough” to deserve the scholarship. As I reflected further on this feeling of not being enough, it occurred to me that I had found a reason to apply. As a biracial individual, I had never felt fully part of either of my familial cultures. I had encountered and experienced multiple moments of adversity connected to my racial/ethnic and intersecting identities.

My story was valuable, and it made me a qualified and worthy candidate for the Diversity Scholarship. In my application, I shared this story, and I was fortunate to be awarded the scholarship.

Upon receiving the Diversity Scholarship, I felt a responsibility to represent and promote diversity in the CECP department. A way in which I aimed to fulfill this responsibility was through my position as President of the CECP GSO. One of my motivations to run for President was the opportunity to showcase excellence in leadership as a person of my particular background. When I was growing up, I rarely saw biracial, brown, and/or gay leaders in media and real life. As such, I never dared to aspire for leadership, myself. It would have been so meaningful to see myself represented in leadership in some capacity.

Once I took ownership of my story and recognized my capability to lead, I did so. I became the model of what I had yearned for when I was younger. I hope that in some way, my position as President of the CECP GSO might inspire other student(s) who have felt under- or unrepresented in the world. I hope that my output as President has been excellent, and that I have not only been a leader, but a good leader and model. Beyond representation, I have sought to use my position to promote social justice. Last summer, in light of the instances of racial injustice occurring in the country, I coordinated a corresponding response and effort on behalf of the CECP GSO. I released a statement and resource list via our Instagram, and I facilitated a fundraiser via cohort Facebook pages for Alma Center, a Milwaukee-based clinic that offers trauma-informed services to [primarily BIPOC] men who are considered at risk or involved in the criminal justice system.

Through the Annual Diversity Gala fundraiser and other events throughout the year, I have been able to channel my leadership into social justice and advocacy. My position and output as CECP GSO President have been due, in part, to the Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship eased my financial burden, thereby allowing me to fully devote myself to the CECP GSO rather than a job. I am so grateful for the Diversity Scholarship and for what it has allowed me to accomplish during my time at Marquette University. I will carry the responsibility of the scholarship – to reflect and support the value of racial and ethnic diversity – forward always, but especially into my future profession as a counselor.

The 20th Annual CECP Diversity Gala will be held virtually on Saturday, May 1, 2021, beginning at 7:00pm. Register online by Thursday, April 29th. Virtual Zoom details will be included with your registration confirmation email.