Kathryn Fellows, NCC, LPC, holds a deep personal commitment to increasing representation of historically underrepresented counselors in the field. Living out this commitment, she has long been actively engaged in her local community and invested in mentoring through the NBCCF Mentorship Program to help counseling students matriculate successfully through their programs of study. Her heart and her commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of Black professionals in the counseling field, led her to fund the new 2024 Garden State Master’s Counseling Initiative Fellowship, which she envisioned as a way to increase the number of Black counselors working with underserved populations in the inner cities of New Jersey.   

Applications for the fellowship funded by Ms. Fellows are currently being accepted, and the professional community is invited to encourage counseling students from New Jersey who hold the commitment Ms. Fellows' holds for serving the underserved to apply.  

Early next year, Ms. Fellows and the NBCCF team will celebrate the provision of her first $10,000 master’s-level fellowship being awarded to a New Jersey resident and counseling student who identifies as Black and is committed to serving clients in the inner cities of New Jersey post-graduation. Candidates must also be enrolled in a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited counseling master’s program and be committed to serving underserved populations in New Jersey inner cities, among other criteria.  

Through her engagement as a long-term reviewer for NBCC Foundation scholarship and fellowship applications, Ms. Fellows has been inspired and impressed by the passion counseling students demonstrate for their education and professional service. She has also witnessed the critical need many of these students have for financial assistance to be able to complete their programs of study successfully.  

She’s also seen how NBCCF’s capacity-building and educational support provide opportunities for counselors and help advance global health equity by expanding access to care. Ms. Fellows ultimately hopes to inspire others to give back to the counseling community and “pay it forward,” by funding fellowships within their own states.  She adds that “we’ve all needed help somewhere along the way.” 

The deadline to apply for the 2024 Garden State Master’s Counseling Initiative Fellowship is Dec. 31, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST, and the awardee will be announced by the end of March 2024. Read more about the eligibility requirements and apply here. 

Editorial Note: The Fellowship is anticipated to be awarded in June, 2024.