When Rebecca Werts ('13) called home, she hadn't planned to confide that her first semester at UNT had been tougher than she'd expected. A first-generation college student, the Denver native was a trailblazer in her family, a determined scholar who had entered the university with the goal of excelling. But she'd realized quickly that, like many first-in-their-family students, she didn't always know how to ask for help because she wasn't even sure exactly what help she needed. She could feel the pressure mounting.
"Do you want to just go to community college?"
As soon as her mom asked the question, Werts' resolve reshaped itself.
"There were tears running down my face, and I was like, 'No, I'm going to do this,'" Werts says. "And I did."
Not only did she graduate on time with her bachelor's degree in psychology, Werts was selected as a member of NT40, which recognizes the top 40 leaders on campus. After graduation, she took the expertise she'd gained from navigating the university journey as a first-gen student and applied it to her role as an advisor in UNT's College of Science, simultaneously maintaining a 3.8 GPA as she worked toward a master's in mental health counseling.
This December, the woman who wasn't sure she'd survive her first semester as an undergraduate will walk the stage to accept her advanced degree from UNT.
"It's doable, but balance is very important," says Werts, who used UNT's faculty/staff scholarship -- which she says shows UNT's commitment to educating not only its students, but also its employees -- to help pay for her counseling degree. "I had to remember that, just as much as my education was a priority, so was my job. And I had to be patient with myself -- working full time, there was no way I was going to finish my master's in two to three years. You have to know that your journey will always look different than someone else's."
Werts' journey as a grad student was an impressive one, leading her to an interest in women's emotional health, multicultural counseling and trauma. She was part of professors Angie Cartwright, Chandra Carey and Peggy Ceballos' four-year, nearly $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help deliver culturally competent mental health services to underserved and underrepresented communities. She interned at Hope's Door, a Plano-based nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding the lives of individuals and families affected by domestic abuse, dating abuse and family violence. She was inducted into the counseling honor society Chi Sigma Iota in 2015, and she worked as a teaching assistant for a Science Success Seminar in fall 2018 and fall 2019.
And all the while, she continued to guide UNT students in their own academic endeavors, drawing inspiration from the mentors who had guided her as an undergrad.
"There are so many individuals who have helped me -- mentors and supervisors and superiors who have supported and empowered me," says Werts, who also credits UNT's TRIO and Emerald Eagle Scholars programs with helping her soar higher, as well as faculty in the College of Education's counseling program. "We have so many tangible resources on campus, but our most important resources are the people who care so much."
As a College of Science advisor, Werts will continue to be one of those people. She says her counseling courses have been instrumental in allowing her to learn and grow in that role.
"As an advisor, I can't counsel a student, but that skillset of being empathetic and recognizing what they're dealing with and referring them to helpful resources, that's so important," she says. "And I always tell them to overcome their pride and fear and ask for help. That way, they can embrace and enjoy the journey."