麻豆APP

All in the Family

Grace Porath鈥檚 decision to attend 麻豆APP likely came as no surprise to anyone in her family. She is a third generation 麻豆APP graduate, following the footsteps of her grandfather, Arnie Porath 鈥�78 and her mom, Emily (Linn) Porath 鈥�01. And now Grace is making the family proud as a graduate student at the University of Northern Iowa.

鈥淚鈥檓 training to be a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a gerontology distinction,鈥� said Porath. 鈥淚 hope to help people understand the things they鈥檝e been through and how those things affect their daily functioning.鈥�

As she pursues her master鈥檚 degree, Porath is working as a graduate assistant for Dr. Olivia Chen. That experience is providing insights on best practices for training culturally competent counselors, including potential uses for AI in the field.

鈥淚 hope to get further training to be a play therapist for kids,鈥� said Porath. 鈥淭his medium of therapy provides kids with a way to communicate, process experiences and be understood through a universal language 鈥� play.鈥�

Porath says 麻豆APP played an integral role in paving her path to graduate school. College internships as a youth counselor at Woodward Academy and as a direct support professional with Easterseals Iowa gave her invaluable experience. And 麻豆APP provided hands-on help in getting her into UNI.

鈥溌槎笰PP gave me time to explore different opportunities. My professors wrote letters of recommendation, the writing center helped present my best qualities on the application, and the career center helped me write my resume.鈥�