2023-2024: Ciana Chambers
Ciana Chambers
2023-2024: Underserved Scholarship Awardee
Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA
African and Caribbean Mental Health
“Never be limited by other people's imagination: Never limit others because of your own limited imagination.” —Mae Jemison
Ciana Chambers is a first generation American, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother is from St. Kitts, a small Caribbean Island, and her father is from Jamaica. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree, Ciana has worked with underserved and historically marginalized communities including first-generation Americans, impoverished youth, LGBTQ students, and families impacted by gun violence. As a student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at William James College, she will be concentrating in African and Caribbean Mental Health.
Ciana decided to pursue her studies in the mental health field because she is passionate about finding solutions to the community violence she witnessed as she grew up. In her Caribbean-American neighborhood she experienced drive-by shootings at playgrounds, house parties turning into homicide cases, domestic violence, and bullet ridden cars. She also witnessed failed efforts by those who tried to protect children from the violence. Ciana is attending WJC because of the aligned dedication to providing culturally responsive services to the African and Caribbean communities she grew up in. She aims to increase her awareness of the intersection of culture and mental health in order to create sustainable preventative measures for community violence. Ciana’s proudest accomplishment is being the first person in her family to graduate college and to attend a Master's program.
Ciana shares:
“Being a recipient of the Serving the Underserved Scholarship means that I have been seen and heard. As a first-generation American and college graduate, I have often been the only black student in the room or the only black intern in the office. My voice often falls on quiet ears but I am appreciative of William James for allowing me a chance to amplify it.”
During her time at WJC, Ciana plans to create a resource hub called "A Dreamer's Choice" for mental health services in the Boston area. This resource hub will promote black mental health organizations, black therapists, group therapies, and more. Her long-term goal is to provided trauma-informed and clinically effective therapy to children and families from her community. Ciana plans to become a licensed clinician, open her own private practice, and expand research on Cultural Psychology.
For self-care, Ciana enjoys nature walks with her dad, trauma informed yoga, painting, and spending time with her cat Lucious.