Lummi Tribal Member Who Completed TVR Studies and Master’s Degree Now Works as a Counselor for Washington State

In the spring of 2022, “VZ” earned her Award of Completion in Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (TVR) Studies from the TVR Institute at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). Unlike many students in the TVR Studies program, VZ was not already working in the TVR field, but nevertheless brought unique life and work experiences to her studies.  

VZ is a Lummi tribal member, and she grew up on the Lummi reservation in northwest Washington state. Her mother worked nights and VZ helped raise her five younger siblings. She had two daughters as a teenager, and would later bring children who needed homes into her own family. 

VZ graduated from NWIC in June 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Community Advocates and Responsive Education (CARE) in Human Services. With this degree, she was able to obtain employment as a mental health technician in a psychiatric hospital and, later, as a community correction care officer with a specialized caseload for an offender reentry community safety program. Wishing to provide more holistic and comprehensive services to people with disabilities, VZ chose to earn the TVRS Award at NWIC, and TVR Institute staff helped her to research master’s degree options.

VZ applied for admission to the Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling (RC) program at Western Washington University in the summer of 2022. She entered the program in September 2022 and completed her degree in August 2024. Before she finished her degree, she was hired by the Washington State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, where she continues to work today.