ETSU alum Khia Hudgins-Smith recently began her employment in the Counseling Center here on campus.
Her job is to try to bring the Counseling Center to different departments for collaboration on projects and to see what the students are needing; she also provides education on what services the center offers and works with orientation coordinators to ensure that the information given to new students is correct.
Hudgins-Smith graduated from ETSU in 2012 with a degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. She then attended graduate school online at Walden University and received a degree in marriage, couple and family counseling, which she says still comes in handy even though she is now working with college students.
When asked what made her want to be a counselor, Hudgins-Smith tells the story of meeting and connecting with a young man who, a couple of weeks later, took his own life. That is when she decided to get a degree in psychology. “I had a heart for at-risk children because of the work I was doing at the time in Johnson City Schools,” she says.
Before coming to ETSU, Hudgins-Smith worked as a marriage and couples’ therapist, which she decided to pursue after same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States. “I saw a need, and I wanted to meet it,” she says. “I wanted to make sure I was a safe place for people in my community to come and get the support that they needed without fear of judgment or shame.”
She had not planned on working at ETSU since she was working in private practice, but there was an opening, and she realized that it is exactly what she wanted to do. She says it is the perfect mix of being a counselor, educator and activist. What she loves most about her job is seeing people heal.
Being a person of color herself, Hudgins-Smith wants to help others experiencing racism and the struggles of being a part of an underserved population. “Our area is very lacking in diversity, but the cool thing about ETSU is it’s its own community,” she says. “We have so much diversity on our campus, and it needs to be celebrated and supported.” She wants to not only recruit diverse students but also be sure to support those that are already enrolled.
“It’s an honor to be working at ETSU right now because I have noticed the changes, and I think I have felt the energy shift in what faculty and students are noticing along with the improvements we’re trying to make towards diversity, equity and inclusivity on campus,” says Hudgins-Smith. “I’m just excited to see the way that ETSU is going to grow in support of the mental health of students, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.”
