< Back | Home

Gerra Perkins, recipient of the Louisiana Distinguished Counselor Educator Award, teaches her class. She played a role in forming the grant "Combating Truancy."

Professor receives LA Distinguished Counselor Educator Award

By: Tiffany Thomas

Posted: 4/22/09

Gerra Perkins of the College of Education was honored with the Louisiana Distinguished Counselor Educator Award for her efforts to promote counselor education and counseling as a profession.

In addition to serving in the counseling master's degree program at Northwestern State and teaching in the Student Personnel Services Program, Perkins was also recognized for her leadership in student projects and grant writing.

Her leadership in the service grant, "Combating Truancy: A Prevention and Remediation Focus for the New Orleans Recovery School District" received statewide attention and interest.

Aside from her contributions regarding grants and service learning to bolster counseling as a profession, Perkins considers the most rewarding experience of her career to be her "interactions with the students that have involved helping them with their professional development."

An example of those interactions is last October when Perkins traveled with eight students to the Louisiana Counseling Association Conference. The students presented their studies and research in counseling.

Perkins said the conference was a success because the students had the opportunity to get involved in the "professional counseling arena."

Perkins traveled with students and master's degree candidates Danielle McDaniel and Kimberly Cain to the American Counseling Association Conference in Charlotte, N. C., where they presented their research on the "Combating Truancy" grant.

Cain commented that the grant "offered a unique service-learning opportunity" that falls in line with her objectives for her students.

Another contribution of Perkins to NSU and students is her hand in amending the university's counseling program, which now allows an accredited graduate to become a National Certified Counselor.

Along with her teachings and research, other things Perkins would like her students to take away from her instruction is "a really strong professional identity as a counselor, an understanding of their strengths and a love for counseling in general."

Perkins' desire is for her students to have a love for helping people, which is the crux of being an effective counselor.

After her efforts to fulfill and continue this desire, Perkins, herself has indeed been a model example of a person who loves to help others.