University of New Orleans counseling student Ash Bayer has been awarded a $10,000 fellowship.

Ash M. Bayer, a student in the University of New Orleans master’s counseling program, has been awarded a $10,000 fellowship by the NBCC Foundation. The foundation is an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Bayer was among 30 people selected for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program-Mental Health Counseling-Master’s. The foundation received more than 200 applications for the fellowship opportunity.

The goals of the program are to strengthen the infrastructure that engages diverse individuals in counseling and increase the number of professional counselors providing effective, culturally competent services to underserved and never-served populations.

The fellows will work with NBCC Foundation staff, the Minority Fellowship Program Mental Health Counseling Advisory Council and mentors to achieve the goals of the program. Each fellow receives $10,000 to support their education and facilitate their service to underserved populations.

To be considered for the fellowship, applicants had to meet certain requirements including:

• Commitment to apply for the National Certified Counselor certification prior to graduation.
• Enrollment in a master’s program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with racially and ethnically diverse populations.
• Commitment to provide mental health services to underserved populations for two years post-graduation.