Counselor Education grads see high placement rate in Idaho jobs

McKenzie Sanchez (Master of Arts in Counselor Education, 2020) is one of three counselors at Mountain Home High School, from which she also graduated. On any given school day, Sanchez can be found checking in with parents, faculty members and students, and meeting one on one with kids to discuss the topics that weigh on young people: relationships, family dynamics, school challenges and more.

Sanchez's profession ticks off some satisfying aspects: relationship-building, flexibility, and ordering work and priorities in the way that makes the most sense.

Current Counselor Education student Taylor Perron leads a Wendell Elementary School classroom in an activity as part of the STAC tool to mitigate bullying.

"I'm super happy," Sanchez said. "I love having the balance of working with kids, siblings, families, and by the end of senior year, I really get to know them."

Colleagues in the district who came through the Boise State Department of Counselor Education program work at a middle school and the alternative high school in the district - and in schools and districts across the state.

Aida Midgett, chair of the Department of Counselor Education, sits with three Counselor Education students.

Aida Midgett, professor and chair of the Department of Counselor Education, said that given historic needs, particularly in Idaho's rural communities, and shifts in the demand for mental health services that came along with the COVID pandemic, nearly all of the master's program graduates are finding positions - and most are staying in the Gem State.

"The need for these services is high in this state, and the need for counseling professionals is high in this state, too," she said "There's such a high demand for counselors that there are many job opportunities for our students."

Therapy dogs visit a Counselor Education classroom so future counselors learn the value of therapy dogs and local therapy dog organizations.

Focused on equipping graduates to become licensed professional counselors for careers in schools, private practices, clinics and other settings, the 30-year-old department started with school counseling and has grown to include an addiction counseling specialty path.

About 70 students are enrolled at any given time in the three-year, full-time master's program. Two dozen students, with undergraduate backgrounds in everything from sociology and psychology to chemistry, biology and communications, are admitted to the program annually.

The program is selective, the accreditation is rigorous and faculty-to-student ratios are low. Employers know from experience that Boise State students are prepped for workplace settings; internship providers seek out the health sciences students, flipping the usual script.

"When our students go to internship sites, they are very well-prepared because as a program, we are very focused on quality," Midgett said.

Sanchez was one of them. She completed her internship in the district and started her career there months before she graduated with her master's degree and completed her steps toward licensure. Mountain Home was where she grew up and wanted to be; five years later, she's never left and is happy with her path.

"I really loved my time at the program. Our professors were super-knowledgeable. They did a great job getting us ready," Sanchez said.

Quality lab and internship experience and considerable counseling practice in hand, students graduate ready for entry-level licensure. And, like Sanchez, the vast majority stay local, with many taking jobs at clinics and schools that hosted their internships.

"The impact of our program is tremendous in the state of Idaho," Midgett said.

Therapy dogs help reduce anxiety and stress, offering comfort and creative a more positive environment.

That impact is likely to continue, with the constraints on counselor time that schools, clients and nearly anyone seeking services post-COVID has experienced. Long wait lists, hard-to-obtain appointments, and a reduced stigma around counseling - in part fostered by artists, professional athletes and others who have found value in improving their mental health and wellness - means Midgett's grads will have very bright futures for a long, long time.

And there's the Bronco vibe that no other school can create.

"Our students are very passionate and caring," Midgett said, "and really committed to improving the lives of people, which is pretty great."

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