The Department of Professional Counseling is thrilled to announce that we have met our Crowdfunding goal of $1,500! This achievement ensures that we can offer scholarships to one or more deserving students in fall 2020. We could not have reached this milestone without YOU! Thank you for supporting this important endeavor which will help ease the financial burdens of counseling students. We wish you good health and hope you have a wonderful summer.

To all MU Professional Counseling Alumni:

I have now been retired for about two years. In the last couple of years of teaching internship classes I became very conscious of the financial and family life challenges graduate school poses to our students. So, I and my wife (also a Monmouth Graduate) decided to give back a bit to help out. Many of you may know that my wife and I have continued support of the students in the department through setting up an endowed scholarship for 5 years ($5,000 each year). In addition, I have also provided matching funds in 2019 and 2020 on the Crowdfunding page for the Professional Counseling Scholarship Fund. As our generous faculty and alumni have met the goal of my challenge this year, I have just donated $500 to the current Crowdfunding target of $1,500. We are still a bit short and we have until the end of the month to meet our goal. The scholarship money will go to deserving students in fall 2020 and will relieve some of the burden of this education.

These days, more than ever, mental health support has been a well-recognized necessity. The changed environment, isolation, financial and health burdens all challenge the mental health of NJ families and individuals. More and more support is required to combat the loneliness, fear, depressed mood and grief that arises out of COVID-19. I hope you and your families have been staying well and that you can use your skills to help others as well as yourselves. We have about 1,000 alumni and even a small amount from each can add up and support the struggles of current graduate students to get their degrees and begin practicing their profession. Thank you for your support.

Gary Handler