Chase Walding

University of Houston-Victoria graduate student Chase Walding will begin a new career in August as a school counselor at St. Anthony Catholic High School in San Antonio.

Walding, who will graduate with a master�s degree in counseling from UHV this summer, just completed his final internship at Clear Lake High School, where he taught special education.

�I�m really excited about my career at St. Anthony�s,� he said. �It�s my first real counseling job, so I�m a little nervous, but thanks to my internships, I know I�m ready to get started and see what I can do.�

Clear Lake High School is the largest high school in Texas to receive an exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency and employs five full-time counselors. Walding said the fast-paced environment and high demand of his internship proved invaluable.

�Working in a top-quality school was a great experience,� he said. �The counselors there are dedicated; they take their work home with them. I learned a lot about what it takes to handle that type of work load. It was great to work with them.�

Walding, a resident of Webster, also has a bachelor�s degree in anthropology, but he�s always known he wanted to be a counselor.

�I love what counselors do?that one-on-one environment,� Walding said. �They do more than just help you get ready for college; they help students with emotional issues. I think that�s the most interesting part of this career.�

His new position at St. Anthony will be a significant change from his former position as a case manager at the Mental Health Cooperative in downtown Houston. MHC is a permanent home for patients suffering from severe mental illness, and Walding confronted everything from schizophrenia to bipolar disease.

�That was a completely different experience,� he said. �It was very demanding working with those kinds of patients, but I learned so much, and I know it will help me in the future. I�m glad I chose to work there, and I�m glad I chose the counseling program at UHV. I�d recommend it to anyone. The staff is so knowledgeable, and they really want you to succeed.�

The UHV Outstanding Student is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact UHV Communications Manager Paula Cobler  or call 361-570-4350