Terryann Cantalupo ’12, a graduate student at Rider University majoring in clinical mental health counseling, was selected as the beneficiary of a scholarship that supports women choosing non-traditional career pathways.
More than ten years ago, Cantalupo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rider. With the ultimate goal of becoming a registered professional counselor and starting her own practice, she has gone back to the classroom.
Executive Women of New Jersey (EWNJ), the premier senior-level executive women’s group in the state, gave out nine awards this year.
“I try to look at all of the scholarship opportunities I’m aware of, but I don’t qualify for most of them,” Cantalupo says. “I was really excited that I could apply for this and I was very happy when I found out I was chosen. It means a lot as a woman coming up and trying to build her own career.”
Limited scholarship options can discourage women from pursuing advanced degrees, says Marianne DeAlessi, chair of the EWNJ Scholarship Committee and lead healthcare consultant at DeAlessi Enterprises. “We firmly believe all women should be afforded the education necessary to achieve their career goals,” she adds.
I was very happy when I found out I was chosen. It means a lot as a woman coming up and trying to build her own career.” – Terryann Cantalupo ’12
Cantalupo worked for a group home and an auction house, among other institutions, before going back to school. She is currently the vice president of the counseling honor society at Rider University and works full-time for a medical company while part-time earning her doctoral degree. She is going back to her original goal of helping people in New Jersey when she studied psychology as an undergraduate by pursuing a career as a counselor.
In order to assist clients who battle anxiety, depression, addictions, and other issues, prospective counselors can enroll in Rider’s professional mental health counseling program, which is accredited by CACREP. Looking for as much practical experience as possible, Cantalupo is excited to start her fieldwork at CPC Integrated Health in Monmouth County.
Cantalupo’s trajectory aligns with EWNJ’s description of a non-traditional student. The organization supports students who may have completed their undergraduate degree at a later date, those who change careers and return to school to retool careers, and those who come from non-traditional educational or socioeconomic backgrounds in addition to giving scholarships to students who return to their studies several years after receiving an undergraduate degree. Over $1.4 million in scholarships have been awarded by EWNJ to college women who are following non-traditional educational pathways since the organization’s founding.
“At the heart of EWNJ’s mission is our unwavering commitment to elevating women with exceptional potential into leadership spaces, and for many women, an advanced degree is key to unlocking those opportunities,” says M. Courtney McCormick, EWNJ president and senior vice president of Audit, Enterprise Risk & Compliance at PSE&G.
For Cantalupo, who is paying out of pocket for her education, the unexpected support has alleviated some of the financial stress of investing in her future. “For graduate school, I refused to take out any more loans,” she says, “so to receive any kind of award to ease that burden for me is so nice.”