As a mental health professional, Emme McCarthy can appreciate the challenge of overcoming self-imposed barriers to success. As a former student, she can look upon her experience at Lower Columbia College as an example of how to navigate around mental obstacles — while thoroughly enjoying the journey.
“Our thoughts, and what we label ourselves as, heavily inform our actions,” she said. “Sometimes, we can surprise ourselves!”
McCarthy’s college experience began in 2017 when she was still in high school, choosing to earn her Associate in Arts degree in the Running Start program.
“It was scary at first, but then so fun to be in this environment where I was being treated like an adult and able to control my own course of study on a real college campus,” she said. “I also made some incredible friends and study buddies through my different classes, which really helped me to succeed.”
She took general classes but also loaded up on psychology and sociology courses, knowing that she wanted to transfer to the University of Washington, where she earned a psychology degree in two years. She went on to secure her master’s in Social Work from Eastern Washington University and now is on staff at Lower Columbia as a mental health counselor.
She recalls how the trepidation of being a high school student on a college campus soon faded.
“I came into the Running Start program with an intimidated mindset, assuming everybody
would be smarter than me,” she said. “However, I soon began to realize that everyone
is here for the same reason — to learn and grow. I also realized that everyone else
also shared the same fears, anxieties, and
insecurities as me, which was so comforting at the time.”
McCarthy’s discovery soon led her to better understand how to adapt, set goals and move forward.
“Once I realized that my goal was to simply learn and grow as opposed to comparing myself to others, I was able to disarm the college environment and thrive personally,” she said. “I carried that philosophy with me as a student in my latter academic years and currently in my growth as a mental health counselor.”
As an example, one of her early challenges was overcoming doubts about whether she could be good at math. Fortunately, she discovered that her instructor and fellow students would provide her with the encouragement and support she needed to erase her math misgivings.
“One of my favorite memories at LCC were my two math courses, Math 141 and 142 with Professor Mary Hebert,” she said. “To those who know me, this sounds so outrageous because I have historically despised math and always labeled myself as “not a math person” throughout elementary to high school. However, Mary made the classes highly accessible and her style of teaching was so friendly and supportive that I was able to grasp these once-intimidating concepts with confidence.”
Thanks to her instructor’s skill and lots of collaboration with her study buddies, McCarthy excelled.
“I was able to graduate with one of the highest grades in the course and remember feeling so incredibly surprised and shocked,” she said.
McCarthy said she is grateful for her LCC experience.
“The thing that made LCC special for me was the novelty of the college environment
and the people I surrounded myself with,” she said. “I loved being able to do things
like make my own schedule, access free tutoring, study in spaces like the upstairs
library or health sciences building, and overall feel so
independent. Attending LCC also made me feel really confident as a high school student!”
Those experiences easily come to mind when McCarthy is asked what she would tell prospective students about LCC.
“We want to help you,” she said. “LCC faculty and staff are all here to support you in your academic journey as best we can, so please ask questions and use your resources because they are here for you. While it can be scary to ask for support from a professor or staff member, we want the LCC Campus to be a brave and safe space that allows you to reach out when needed and make those valuable connections."