Doctoral student in counseling wins top prize in national student essay competition

Anita Neuer, a doctoral student in Old Dominion University's counseling program, has won the grand prize in the American Counseling Association Foundation 2010 student essay competition.

Neuer, who is from Birmingham, Ala., and currently lives in Norfolk, wrote her essay on the role of mental health services in health care reform. It will be featured in the March 2010 issue of Counseling Today, ACA's monthly magazine.

"What a huge accomplishment this is for Anita, as well as the counseling program. ACA has a 16,000-plus student membership, and for Anita to be recognized in this way speaks volumes to the quality of her essay," said Danica Hays, ODU counseling graduate program director.

As the grand prize recipient, Neuer receives a $2,500 scholarship plus free registration and lodging to attend the ACA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, March 20-21. She will be recognized at an invitation-only graduate student reception as well as the national awards ceremony.

Neuer will also be recognized at the conference for receiving first place in a national ethics case competition, along with three other ODU doctoral counseling students, and for being named the 2009-10 Outstanding Practitioner-Supervisor by Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society for students, professional counselors and counselor educators.