Meet Geni, Graduate Ambassador
Geni is worried about the growing problem of substance abuse especially among teenagers. To combat this she is seeking her Master’s degree in Counseling from NMSU.
Originally from Washington, D.C., Geni moved to the southwest to get away from the commotion of big city life to concentrate on her education. But uncertain of what direction to take, Geni bounced around between four or five different programs of study before settling on sociology as her major - in which she now holds not only a Bachelor’s degree but also a Master’s. Geni contributes her educational success to the mentoring of Dr. Enedina Vázquez whom she met while working as a graduate assistant in the Graduate School Office. Now, thanks to the guidance and encouragement that Dr. Vázquez gave her, Geni is pursuing another Master’s: this time in Counseling, where her heart is.
Geni has “made a bunch of friends here,” camping and hiking with them “wherever the trails took us.” An avid amateur photographer as well, Geni has submersed herself in the “totally different experience” of the American southwest and has really enjoyed her studies– particularly the border and gender issues she learned about in her sociology classes. Geni found the proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border enabled her to study these issues firsthand.
Geni says once she’s earned her second Master’s degree, she’s off to the beaches of Florida or California where she plans to establish herself as a substance abuse counselor, specializing in teenage abusers and children whose parents are undergoing substance abuse counseling. Geni wants to help these youngsters “before it’s too late for them.”