Enrolling in an online graduate program can bring some nice perks. Students can study or complete work at a time convenient to them, they never have a commute, and they have the flexibility to tune into online lectures or discussions from virtually anywhere in the world.
But as 麻豆传媒 City University graduate student Ash Savage noticed, despite the convenience there was a particular drawback: A lack of personal connection and camaraderie with their classmates.
Savage, a student in 麻豆传媒鈥檚 online Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, said that being in an asynchronous program 鈥渃an feel isolating at times.鈥�
鈥淚n the program, you鈥檙e learning alongside others, but not always with them,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淚 found myself really craving a space to digest the materials we were studying and build healthy dialogue to assist with learning and developing my counseling identify.鈥�
To address the issue, Savage and some fellow classmates leaned into some age-old advice from the college recruiter scene: If you don鈥檛 see a student organization that you like, start one of your own.
With that, Savage and classmates Amanda Sakurai and Brittany Ward founded Counseling Stars: For Students, By Students. It鈥檚 the first student organization at 麻豆传媒 dedicated specifically to an online graduate program, and Savage thinks it鈥檚 a model that could help foster connection and collaboration for online students everywhere.
鈥淚 think Counseling Stars could be a great model for other online or asynchronous programs,鈥� said Savage, an 麻豆传媒 native who graduated from Newcastle High School in 2013. 鈥淚t addresses one of the biggest challenges in those formats: building connection and community.鈥�
Savage said they, Sakurai and Ward were inspired to take action to address that challenge after a meeting with program director Gina Wilson.
When Wilson was told the group of students had started to hold coffee-shop meetups with classmates, the professor challenged them to 鈥渢hink bigger,鈥� Savage said.
鈥淒r. Wilson gently challenged us to think bigger and mentioned possibly starting a podcast project, and that helped spark the vision for something more structured and lasting,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淲e realized that the more we invest in our time here, the more meaningful and connected our experience becomes.鈥�
The group set out to take the regular steps for forming a student organization 鈥� drafting a constitution, securing faculty support and completing the university approval process. From there, students have been quick to show appreciation.
鈥淭he response from our classmates has been really encouraging and validating,鈥� said Savage, who works full-time for Solari Crisis & Human Services, a state contractor that operates the statewide 988 call center. 鈥淢any students have expressed appreciation for having a space where they can connect outside of coursework. It鈥檚 been clear that people not only want connection, but also want to contribute, share ideas and support one another. That support has really affirmed why we started Counseling Stars in the first place.鈥�
Wilson said that when students are meaningfully engaged outside the classroom, it often deepens their engagement inside it.
鈥淲hen students invest in something like Counseling Stars, they鈥檙e building community, and they鈥檙e actively exploring their professional identities鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat kind of engagement fosters a sense of ownership over their learning. They start connecting theory to practice, bringing real questions and lived experiences into the classroom. Discussions become richer, reflections more nuanced, and participation more intentional.鈥�
Wilson was quick to deflect attention from her role in challenging her students to think bigger, saying that as faculty, one of her duties is to see a spark of initiative and then fan that into something sustainable and impactful.
She credited Savage with exhibiting the determination to cultivate the flame that became Counseling Stars.
鈥淎sh led with a blend of vision and humility,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淭hey wanted to build a space where students could grow professionally, support one another and engage in advocacy.鈥�
Savage, who graduated from Arkansas Tech University in 2016 with undergraduate degrees in psychology and rehabilitation science, said growth and advocacy are part of their broader career and personal plans.
鈥淢y goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor, but my vision extends far beyond the therapy room,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淚'm passionate about innovation, leadership and creating spaces for meaningful connection and community.鈥�
The student organization is just one part of that vision. Savage, Sakurai and Ward also have collaborated on a "Counseling Stars" podcast, and they鈥檝e continued and even branded their coffee-shop meetups into a recurring series called Coffee & Countertransference.
鈥淏eyond that, we鈥檙e actively cultivating relationships with local mental health organizations to expand resources and networking opportunities for our members,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淓verything we do is rooted in the belief that peer connection and student leadership can make a real difference in how we navigate this field 鈥� and how we grow within it.鈥�
