������ý����

"You are worth it."

"Every day may not be a good day, but there is good in every day."

"You are strong enough to tackle whatever is on your plate this year."

Visitors to Bierenbaum Fisher Hall this fall were welcomed by the sight of these and other inspirational messages lining the bulletin board and on the table in front of the main office.

The notes were part of a campaign called “Instilling hope and positivity: One kind message after another,” which was led by ������ý����’s Rho Upsilon Beta chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), the international honor society of the counseling profession.

“The beginning of a new school year can be stressful,” says Sravya Gummaluri, the chapter’s president. “This was a simple — yet powerful — way to support each other through motivational messages, to brighten up the days of our fellow students and faculty, and to remind one another that there is always someone who cares.”

This is one of the many initiatives the group has spearheaded to better the ������ý���� community since the chapter’s inception in 2011.

CSI’s mission is “to promote excellence in counseling and recognize the outstanding achievements of our graduate students in the counseling services program.”

They accomplish this in a number of ways, including professional development workshops for all counseling students, social events, service opportunities and fundraising events to support students' travel to professional conferences.

Membership in CSI is open to all graduate students in the counseling services program who meet the following criteria: They must be enrolled in counselor education programs leading to graduate degrees; have completed the equivalent of at least one full academic term of counseling courses; have an overall grade point average of at least 3.5; and have met standards of professionalism as determined by program faculty.

Dr. Juleen Buser, a professor in the counseling services program, has been an advisor to the honor society since the Rho Upsilon Beta chapter started at ������ý���� eight years ago. This year she is serving as co-advisor, alongside Dr. Terry Pertuit, an associate professor in the counseling services program.

“It really helps to build a community among our students,” Dr. Buser says of CSI. “A lot of our graduate students don’t live on campus, and it’s hard when they’re just coming in for classes in the evenings and working full time. I think the honor society does a nice job of supporting that community among our students by hosting social and professional development events. I also think it’s a great way to recognize excellence. Our students work hard and it’s a way to honor those who have excelled academically and professionally in the field.”

She adds that since counseling is inherently about helping others, the community service component of the honor society reinforces what students are learning in their courses and fieldwork. One example of this was a coat drive they organized last winter to benefit Mercer Street Friends, an organization that helps families throughout Mercer County that are impacted by poverty.

Gummaluri agrees, saying that her involvement in CSI has been a natural extension of her training to become a counselor. “During my time in the counseling program, I was introduced to some of the most caring and compassionate professors through my classes. I was inspired to run for a CSI leadership role because I wanted to give back the same amount of empathy and support that the program had given me throughout my graduate career.”

Her experience has not only given Gummaluri a way to make ������ý���� a better place, but it has also enhanced her personal growth. “I was able to recognize my potential and how much I was capable of as a leader, counselor, student and human being,” she says.

In her role, she has had the opportunity to serve as a student ambassador at graduate information sessions, even leading some on her own. “I never realized how powerful of an impact I had until two students I spoke to at graduate information sessions came up to me and told me that they found my experience inspirational and that was one of the reasons they chose ������ý���� for their education,” she says.

CSI is planning a robust calendar of activities for this academic year, including a self-care event for those in the counseling department, hosting a professional development event, a clothing drive and essential items drive for Womanspace (a community-based organization that assists survivors of domestic violence), and another holiday coat drive for Mercer Street Friends.