Morgan Urbany

Describe what brought you to this research:

​​Being a part of the dual-specialization counseling program (i.e. School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling), I was placed at a continuation high school in San Diego County. This school is an alternative academic option for students who, for various reasons, weren’t finding success at a traditional, comprehensive high school. The majority of the students in attendance are considered at-risk youth, coming from various walks of life. As I acclimated to my intern position and got to know the students, I noticed something I had never seen on a school campus before. There was an overwhelming sense of unity among the students. Despite the diverse specific reasons for attending this school, there seemed to be a tangible commonality among them. They were the “misfits” of the comprehensive system who found solace in a school that was better suited for their academic and personal/social needs. I also noticed that many students desired to take on extracurricular responsibilities in the school. Their motivation seemed to come from wanting to prove they were still capable, despite the many negative experiences they had at their previous schools. These two observations, unity among the students and their desire to prove themselves, inspired my motivation to facilitate a youth participatory action research (YPAR) project on campus. My intention was to empower the students I worked with, allowing them to see for themselves that not only could they take responsibility for leadership in school, but also that they could conduct research and see a project benefiting their school through to successful completion.

What was your specific research question?

1. How will facilitating YPAR impact my professional development as a school counselor?

2. YPAR Group’s Research Question: Will having a Staff & Student Field Day strengthen unity on campus?

What are you currently doing as a credentialed practitioner?

​​After completing the two-year school counseling program, I extended an additional year to acquire the necessary credits to become LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) eligible. I will be graduating from USD’s dual specialization counseling program in May 2016. After graduation, my hope is to work with at risk youth in a comprehensive or alternative high school setting.