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- Brenda Ballew-Schrag
Alumni Profile
Belinda Ballew-Schrag, M.A., Ed.S.
Class of 1997 and 2000
Belinda Ballew-Schrag is currently a College Administrator at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. At Appalachian State University, Belinda works to recruit and advise students interested in earning their Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education. Belinda is responsible for coordinating most aspects of Appalachian’s first full-time, daytime, off-campus program, conducted in rural areas at some distance from the main campus. Elementary school teachers are greatly needed throughout North Carolina, and through Belinda’s program, Appalachian State University is doing its part to address this critical issue. Belinda is a first-generation college graduate from a rural area herself. She is excited to be able to help make college opportunities available to students who are from rural areas.
While Belinda is very happy in her current position, while she was a JMU Psychology Major she never imagined that this was the sort of work she would be doing. While at JMU, Belinda completed a field placement experience at Western State Hospital on the admissions ward. She says that she found this placement to be among the most enlightening and educational opportunities she experienced in JMU’s undergraduate Psychology program. “There is nothing one can read in a textbook that completely described the pain and struggle individuals who battle mental illness face on a daily basis. Working with seriously mentally ill people, face to face, really helped me develop a deeper level of compassion, empathy, and an understanding of the field I was about to enter.”
In 1997, after completing her Bachelor’s Degree, Summa Cum Laude, Belinda entered JMU’s Community Counseling program. While in that program, she was a Graduate Assistant and served as the Psychology Department Participant Pool Coordinator. This position not only allowed Belinda the opportunity to work with professors and other professionals she had so long admired, but also gave her the opportunity to develop confidence in her professional capabilities. She says that through her Graduate Assistantship, she came to “understand that my work was valuable and contributions vital. Confidence is truly a priceless gift.” During her final year of graduate studies Belinda completed an internship at the JMU Counseling and Student Development Center. She says, “this is definitely where I fell in love with the college student population.” Her thesis topic, “Emotional Intelligence: Are women smarter than men?” led her down a path of self discovery and personal satisfaction. She says “the act of constructing a thesis becomes an educational experience above and beyond the actual topic.” Belinda completed her Master’s Degree in 2000.
After graduation, Belinda worked in several social services settings. Her first job was at Family Preservation Services, in Winchester, Virginia, where she worked as an in-home counselor. Continued development of her clinical skills occurred as she worked at Northwestern Community Services in Woodstock, where she carried out the duties of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Counselor.
Belinda grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and was anxious to explore new territories. She began to explore the mountains of North Carolina. When the position of counselor to first-generation college students became available within the TRIO programs located at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, she jumped at the chance to help first-generation students, like herself, traverse a smooth path into postsecondary studies. As a counselor in the TRIO programs, she found her work closely matched her interests and strengths. These positions eventually led her to her current position of coordinating recruitment and advising for students interested in obtaining their Bachelor’s Degrees while attending classes via the Extension and Distance Education programs offered by Appalachian State University. She says that she “hopes to provide the same encouraging and nurturing environment for these students as was provided for her as a student at JMU.” She says that “Appalachian State University has a long history of producing top quality professionals, including teachers. I am very proud to be a part of such an important and valuable initiative at a school with such a strong history in educating tomorrow’s leaders.”
Belinda reminisces that as an undergraduate student in JMU’s Psychology Department, she found an atmosphere of support and respect. “The push to challenge yourself, combined with the support to face that challenge and be successful, was the best aspect of JMU’s Psychology Department.” Belinda felt that although many universities focus most of their attention and resources on graduate students, JMU was special in that she always felt she was treated as a colleague. She says that the “undergrads are treated with the same level of respect as everyone else.” Specifically, Belinda recalled that Dr. Lennis Echterling, current head of the Counseling Psychology graduate programs, taught an undergraduate course in which Belinda was enrolled. She recounts how impressed she was that Dr. Echterling had the attitude that “undergraduate students are important to the department. I found this attitude to be prevalent throughout both the undergraduate and graduate Psychology departments at JMU.” Belinda believes that this type of support, coupled with the high expectations of her professors, led Belinda to excel. Belinda advises students to take advantage of JMU’s uniquely accessible faculty, and to communicate their needs to those faculty.
Belinda lives in North Carolina with her husband Andrew and their 11-month-old son, Carter. She invites students to contact her by e-mail at ballewbm@appstate.edu.
