Listening as an Act of Love

Written by Mallory Sample.

I am so excited to introduce myself to you all. My name is Mallory Sample and I am the new campus counselor. I graduated from Greenville College in 2007 and am so thrilled to find myself here once again.

To begin, I wanted to share a little bit about myself and why I entered the field of counseling. To make a long story short, my mom passed away from a three year battle with breast cancer in the winter of my senior year of high school. At such a pivotal point in my life—getting ready to graduate high school, deciding which college I would attend, chosing a major—I was left feeling alone, scared, and overwhelmed. I remember going to school and thinking that none of my friends could possibly understand the way I was feeling and I didn’t ever want to burden them with my heavy emotions.

Shortly before my mom died, she encouraged me to consider counseling as a field of study. I had always assumed I would be a teacher, and having grown up with educators as parents, it seemed like a natural fit. However, I began to doubt this calling and brought the issue to my mom. She told me she had watched me listen to my friends and family members and said that I had a gift; a gift of listening, empathizing, and supporting. Her advice opened the floodgates. I began to explore the field of counseling and what route would work best for me to succeed in this field. I ended up choosing to attend Greenville College and majored in Psychology.I then attended Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville to earn my Master’s degree in Social Work.

During this time, I participated in two practicum opportunities. The first was with a non-profit organization that worked with severely mentally ill adults helping them live independent lives. The second was with a grief support service for children, teens, and their families. After graduating, I spent a year working as a drug prevention/education specialist for an organization that placed me in different schools in and around St. Louis. I have spent the last two and a half years working as a school social worker at an inner city school in St. Louis. In this time I completed the requirements to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri and am currently completing the process for Illinois as well.

I feel called to listen to the stories of others. It is an honor for me and something I do not take lightly. I would love to hear your story. Don’t be afraid or hesitant to seek me out. I will not judge you. I will simply listen, empathize, and support. God has called us to love. I take this command seriously and feel that listening is an act of love. So come, my door is open to you and my ears are ready to listen. In the meantime, I’ll be around doing my best to put a face to my name and getting to know yours as well.

You can find my office in the library located near the Student Success Center. If I am unavailable to schedule a session with, please schedule one with Carleta Trout.

All Media/Photography by Jenny Cayo

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here