Making a Difference Through Counseling: Spotlight on William & Mary Alumni
Choosing the right graduate program isn't just an educational decision—it's a pivotal moment that shapes your future impact on countless lives. The Online M.Ed. in Counseling program at William & Mary equips dedicated individuals to transform their personal experiences and professional aspirations into meaningful service for their communities.
The profiles that follow exemplify how our students channel their unique backgrounds—whether military service, international education, or a personal calling to heal—into exceptional counseling careers. Their journeys reflect the program's commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and evidence-based practice, while demonstrating how William & Mary’s supportive community empowers students to create lasting change. As you read these graduates’ stories, imagine your own potential to make a difference through counseling.
When you’re ready to join them, take the first step by exploring our program offerings and beginning your application today. Your community needs the unique perspective and dedication that only you can bring.
Pedro Alicea
M.Ed. in Counseling, 2025
Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration
Military and Veterans Counseling specialization
After dedicating more than 35 years to federal service as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and senior leader in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense, Pedro Alicea embarked on a new mission at William & Mary. His decision to pursue counseling was deeply personal. Mobilized to active duty after 9/11, he witnessed firsthand the gaps in support for military families and returning service members, as well as the persistent stigma surrounding mental health treatment.
Alicea chose William & Mary specifically for its unique Military and Veterans Counseling specialization, which is the only accredited program of its kind in the country. As he transitions into private clinical practice, he aims to serve his "Tribe"—the military community, veterans, and federal employees in the national security sector who shaped his professional identity. Looking ahead, he plans to expand into research and training other practitioners while pursuing a doctorate in counselor education, continuing his lifelong commitment to service in a new, healing capacity.
Evan Turner
M.Ed. in Counseling, 2025
Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration
Military and Veterans Counseling specialization
As a student in William & Mary's Military and Veterans Counseling specialization, Evan Turner was named a 2023 Tillman Scholar—one of only 60 selected nationwide from thousands of applicants across all disciplines. Her journey to counseling has strong personal roots: Her grandfather was a Naval master chief who served as her greatest advocate when she ran away at 16. As his caretaker during the final year of his life, Turner saw the unaddressed trauma carried by military personnel. That experience, combined with her marriage to a veteran, ignited her passion to support the military community through professional counseling.
Turner brought deep experience to her studies, having worked in leadership development coaching, consulted with U.S. law enforcement agencies, and volunteered as an educator in the prison system. Her commitment to peacebuilding was further strengthened during a transformative education training in Rwanda with Aegis Trust, where she connected with program coordinator Elizabeth Burgin and fellow Tillman Scholar Kord Basnight, '85, M.Ed. '23. She continues to collaborate actively with Aegis Trust, working to spread a message of hope and reconciliation worldwide. Her experience in Rwanda had a profound effect on her, deepening her passion for fostering reconciliation and seeking solutions for polarized communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Luis Angel Rojas
M.Ed. in Counseling, 2024
School Counseling concentration
Luis Angel Rojas brought a rich variety of experience to William & Mary's School Counseling concentration, including a psychology degree, proficiency in art photography since age 14, and a master's degree in international education. Having designed and implemented a photography-based ESL curriculum that demonstrates how visual literacy enhances learning, development and self-expression, his findings contributed to reforms in Spain’s national educational curriculum law.
His academic journey represents a thoughtful integration of psychology, education, and visual arts—all converging in his passion for school counseling, which he views as the intersection of education, psychology, and social justice.
During his time at William & Mary, Rojas found transformative experiences through his internship at Virginia Virtual Academy, where he pioneered counseling approaches for online students, and through the Social Justice Research Fellowship, which deepened his commitment to equity-driven interventions. Immediately following his December 2024 graduation, Rojas began pursuing a Ph.D. in international psychology at The Chicago School, focusing on cross-cultural mental health and trauma-informed interventions. His vision for the next decade includes leading international research, teaching at the university level, and developing innovative counseling approaches that integrate technology with cross-cultural insights—positioning him at the forefront of global mental health advocacy and education.
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