Angela Berry, M.A. '14

Professional counseling graduate Angela Berry, M.A. '14 wants to help veterans and military families transition to “a new normal.”

The mother of two, married to an Air Force officer, understands the stress that long-term or frequent deployments can place on a military family.

Angela made the transition from stay-at-home mom to college student when her daughters entered school. She received a degree in psychology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2007, and enrolled in McKendree’s graduate program in professional counseling when the family was transferred to Scott Air Force Base.

“I always wanted to be a counselor, to be in the helping profession,” Angela said. “I really want to work with veterans. My dad is a Vietnam vet, and he didn’t receive the help he should have after he returned from Vietnam. Our soldiers coming back are experiencing issues after they get home. Our troops deserve as much help as they can get. I want to be able to do for them what my dad was unable to get.”

Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 15, Angela worried that her inability to convey facial expressions due to the disease might hinder her effectiveness as a counselor. However, the Professional Counseling program’s emphasis on self-awareness and personal growth, as well as academics, has helped her realize her strengths. Her confidence grew as she practiced her skills during free stress management sessions offered to students on the Lebanon campus.

“I want to help people get through life-changing events. With my own issues, I’ve had to do that on my own, and it’s been a long road,” she said. Angela graduated from McKendree with her master’s in counseling in 2014. Thanks to the guidance of her encouraging professors and the endless learning opportunities she experienced outside the classroom, Angela became the counselor she knew she always could be.

Learn more about McKendree University, Graduate Programs, or the Professional Counseling program.