Counselor Education Doctoral Student Felix Morton IV ‘23PHD Named 2020-2021 Chi Sigma Iota Leadership Fellow, Will Attend American Counseling Association Conference

NC State College of Education doctoral student Felix Morton IV ‘23PHD has been named a 2020-2021 Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellow. As a fellow, Morton will attend the American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference and Expo in San Diego, Calif., April 15-19, 2020.

“Being selected as a CSI Fellow is humbling, but more so motivating at this phase of my life and career,” Morton said. “Because I understand how competitive the process was, being selected has added fuel to my desire to make immediate contributions to not only the field of counseling, but also to NC State.”

Morton, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development in the program area of study in counseling and counselor education, works as a graduate extension assistant for NC State University Libraries and serves as co-president of the Nu Sigma Chi Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota.

Chi Sigma Iota is the international honor society of professional counseling and for professional counselors. CSI Leadership Fellowships were awarded to 10 individuals of exceptional merit who have exhibited leadership potential in their Chi Sigma Iota chapters.

“In addition to collaborating with nine other scholars from across the country, I am really looking forward to the mentorship I will receive from leaders in our field,” he said. “I want to use this opportunity to both serve and soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as I can as I begin my professional journey.”

As a CSI Leadership Fellow, Morton will travel to San Diego to participate in the ACA annual conference, which will be his first national conference experience. Morton says whether it’s attending sessions, serving with CSI or communicating with luminaries in his field, he wants to maximize the opportunity and return home a more effective advocate for his students and colleagues.

“Being a CSI Fellow and attending ACA will help me gain exposure to work that is being done in the field as well as provide me with insights on how to make contributions in different areas across the counseling profession,” he said.

During the ACA conference, CSI will sponsor three education sessions, including a leadership workshop, where leadership fellows will be required to participate, and 25 poster sessions.

After graduation, Morton, whose current research interest focuses on the recruitment of black men into the counseling profession, would like to develop initiatives that recruit and retain black men as counselors and counselor educators, as well as become a professor in a counselor education program.

“I was inspired to research this topic due to my own challenges as a black man in college, along with my understanding of the need for more black men as both counselors and counselor educators,” he said. “Historically, black men have encountered many challenges regarding their mental health and educational success. My hope is that my research and efforts can contribute to positively expanding that narrative for future generations to come.”

Photography credit: NC State University Libraries