2023-2024: Emily Britton
Emily Britton
2023-2024: Underserved Scholarship Awardee
Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA
LGBTQIA+ Studies
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou
Emily Britton is an incoming first year student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychological Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the University of Vermont (UVM) in the Spring of 2023. Emily is proud of her ability to successfully double major in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. She shares:
“I have always been academically interested in Psychology and passionate and involved in activism surrounding gender, sexuality, and women's rights. The ability for me to be able to study both fields in great depth was incredibly rewarding and allowed me to realize I could make a career out of the two things I care so much about!”
At UVM, Emily worked as a research assistant for the Socioemotional Neuroscience and Development Lab, investigating the impact of inter-parental conflict on child functioning and well-being. They completed an undergraduate practicum with H.O.P.E. Works Vermont, a sexual violence resource center, and interned with Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund as a Public Affairs Intern. Emily was also on the leadership team for Active Minds, a club committed to improving mental health resources on campus.
Emily plans to complete her first-year practicum with Northeast Family Services in their PRIDE Program. As an individual who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community, her own experience navigating sexuality and gender identity has helped her understand the need for counselors who specialize in the particular needs and struggles of LGBTQIA+ people. While in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at William James College, Emily plans to get involved with local LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights groups and activism in the Boston area. As the first person in her family to attend graduate school, receiving the Serving the Underserved Scholarship has made earning a graduate education possible and has offered Emily the opportunity to focus more on her commitment to the LGBTQIA+ population.
Emily’s short-term professional goals are to complete her graduate studies at WJC, work with LGBTQIA+ clients, and develop their skills as a counselor. Following their graduate studies at WJC, Emily plans to work toward licensure in a community mental health center working with LGBTQIA+ individuals and eventually look into earning her PhD in Counseling Psychology.
Throughout their undergraduate career, Emily was a DJ for her college's radio station and had a weekly radio show. They enjoy collecting and listening to vinyl records.