91社区福利

Constance Ervins wanted to help others discover their best self, which led her to the Master鈥檚 Degree in Counseling Psychology at North Park. Since starting the program, she鈥檚 learned from both her tight-knit cohort of fellow students, and professors who share a wealth of real-world experience.

鈥淚鈥檓 impressed with the faculty at North Park, who bring their own life and professional experiences into the classroom,鈥� said Ervins, who plans to eventually counsel older teens and college students.

Ervins, who has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in journalism and a master鈥檚 in communication studies, said she chose North Park because of its on-campus class offerings and cohort model.

鈥淢y favorite part of the program is the cohort, where I鈥檓 really getting to know my peers and talking with them about difficult topics,鈥� said Ervins, who enjoys learning and practicing skills with her 14 classmates.

Ervins said that learning amid Chicago鈥檚 diverse population is helping prepare her to counsel people of different backgrounds.

鈥淚n the cohort, my peers and I are open and willing to be culturally sensitive,鈥� she said.

Nicole Nalls, in her final semester of the program, chose the MACP over related degrees, such as a master鈥檚 in education or social work.

鈥淐ounseling psychology incorporates a focus on wellness that I feel is missing from related programs, such as the MSW,鈥� Nalls said. 鈥淚 wanted training that would allow me to form therapeutic relationships.鈥�

Students in North Park鈥檚 MACP program develop skills to treat emotional, social, developmental, vocational, and organizational issues, among others. With a broad range of career outcomes, MACP graduates often work as school or career counselors, or counsel in private practices, mental health clinics, and hospitals.

North Park鈥檚 MACP is an accelerated two-year program, and requires a high level of commitment to at-home studying, attending twice-weekly evening classes, and completing an internship.

鈥淥ver time, students really learn to nurture their craft,鈥� said Mary Hendrickson, MACP鈥檚 assistant director of admissions.

North Park鈥檚 MACP program equips students with the skills they need to graduate, practice as Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and pursue the area of counseling of their choice. For Rev. Meagan Sherman-Sporrong, 2017 graduate, she passed the licensing exam and plans on combining her MDiv and LPC status by working as a hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor.

To date, North Park鈥檚 MACP graduates have a 100% passing rate in the licensing exam to practice as an LPC.

鈥淭he Winter One Acts gives you a seat to the world-premiere of five new shows put on by your听fellow students,鈥� says director and costume designer Pia Mueller.

Students of all majors will join together from Wednesday, February 28 through March 3 to perform the Winter One Acts. Also known as the One Act Festival, these are one-act plays written and performed by North Park Students.

鈥淚 love the variety of people that are involved. For other shows, it is usually the same group of people involved; but for the One Act festivals, it’s people from all over campus. We have everyone from听music majors to international students,鈥� says Pia. Pia is a criminal justice major who enjoys the creative power and liberty which comes along with creating costumes for each of the shows. 鈥淚 have the ability to shape how the audience sees the characters. And as a director, I can take a script and create a show from it.鈥�

This year鈥檚 theme for the Winter One Act Festival is 鈥淏reaking out of the Box,鈥� stories which tell of how people make decisions and the consequences. The plays aim to show how these impact us and the ways in which they make us who we are.

When the lights go up, it is Stage Manager Mara Franzen who gives the order. 鈥淢y favorite part is Tech, which is when we bring in all the costumes, light, sound, props, costumes, and actors all together in the same place for the first time. During the actual performances, I am in the booth calling light and sound cues, and overseeing transitions between the different shows.鈥� Mara, who is a triple major in theater, creative writing, and Scandinavian studies, describes her favorite part of the One Acts: 鈥淢y favorite part is the very first run of the shows with tech, all the pieces come together, we get to see the whole festival fall into place, and there is such a sense of pride in the art we are creating.鈥�

The shows will begin every evening at 7:30 and will run for about an hour and a half. Admission is $5 for anyone who wishes to attend (but if you find a 鈥淏reaking out of the Box鈥� promotional postcard on campus, you can get $1 off). The One Act Festival is open to all!

鈥淚 would tell someone who hasn’t seen the One Acts to just give it a shot. It鈥檚 all student-led so it鈥檚 flexible and it鈥檚 just a great intro to NPU theatre,鈥� says Payton Walles, who is an actor this year. The English education major adds, 鈥渢his year, the plays all do a good job of showing people reaching a different breaking point and how many different ways someone can deal with life-changing incidents.鈥� This will be Walles鈥� second year acting in the Winter One Acts.

鈥淭he challenges and joys that accompany storefront theatre provide the perfect foundation for a tight-knit community,鈥� says Professor of Theater Dr. Chad Eric Bergman, 鈥渁nd that is exactly what you can expect from North Park Theatre.鈥�

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