An Adler University graduate has been selected for a prestigious national fellowship to further her work providing individual and family counseling services to diverse clientele.
Kristina Wilkerson was named among 23 recipients of a $20,000 fellowship from the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program, which is led by the National Board for Certified Counselors. A current doctoral student in the counselor education and supervision program at Northern Illinois University, Wilkerson graduated from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program through Adler University’s Chicago Campus.
“The goal of the (fellowship) program is to strengthen the infrastructure that engages diverse individuals in counseling and increases the number of professional counselors providing effective, culturally competent services to underserved populations,” according to the NBCC.
Wilkerson is a Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in Chicago and rural Illinois, and an adjunct faculty member at National Louis University. She serves as a graduate assistant in NIU’s office of the Ombudsperson, where she helps students develop skills to advocate for themselves amidst harassment or discrimination centered on race, gender, or sexual orientation. Wilkerson is also the current president-elect of the Illinois chapter of the Black Counselors Association and of Illinois Counselors for Social Justice.
Her research explores the relationship between counselor education, supervision, and multicultural counseling competency. The NBCC fellowship will allow Wilkerson to become involved with professional organizations through which she may receive further training to help underserved minority populations.