I always knew my end goal was counseling. Richmont has made it possible for me to realize that goal and so many others.

Blake Feagans never questioned his destiny as a people-helper. As early as high school, he was considering a career in counseling, dreaming of “helping others become the people they want to be.” His own school counselor played a vital role in his vocational development, seeing him through the incredibly painful loss of his mother at a young age. Blake says the counselor “became the most impactful person in my educational journey. He made himself available, but he also went out of his way to get me in his office when he knew I needed it.” The man continued reaching out to Blake during his years at McCallie School to help him see the hope and opportunity available in his future.

Bolstered by belief his counselor had in him, Blake headed straight for Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he majored in psychology, grateful for the “lens of Christ’s love” that the program afforded him. Now, Richmont has opened the door for him to go back to his alma mater as an interning clinician, which he finds deeply fulfilling. He leads process groups that focus on coping skills, interpersonal relationships, social anxiety, and college life, and he revels in witnessing his clients’ growth. Process groups are particularly interesting to Blake: “It’s exciting to see how highly functioning individuals sometimes benefit one another so powerfully in a group setting.” And Blake delights in the single-client experience as well. His internship allows him to see 10-12 students each week during 20 onsite hours. He is garnering experience working with suicide prevention, relationship crises, family issues, and other student concerns. Richmont, he says, has given him “the best possible experience” to match his interests to a clinical setting at Lee.

But before arriving at the internship stage, Blake had a number of professors who positively impacted his life and career forever. He expresses particular gratitude for Dr. Jeff Eckert, Director of the Henegar Counseling Center at Richmont. “He is so knowledgeable, caring, funny, and down-to-earth. You can tell he is a very intentional person.” Dr. Kevin Eames has also impacted Blake: “He consistently encourages us to continue our personal development, and he has an amazing approach to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and addictions counseling.” In fact, Blake considers the professors at Richmont to be the greatest strength the university offers. “The men and women who teach us,” he says, “their hearts are in the students. It’s obvious.”

As Blake finishes his internship and graduates in May 2016, he is looking ahead at studying grief counseling in more depth in order to develop the tools necessary to walk students through the passing of their loved ones. His school counselor showed him the difference one caring, trained individual can make in another’s life, and Blake is eager to pass the gift on to others. “I always knew my end goal was counseling. Richmont has made it possible for me to realize that goal and so many others.”