Navigating Bumps on the Road to Graduate School

Amanda Lamb’s path to graduate school and the University of Minnesota has been a wild and winding one. It started in 2007 as an accounting student at a community college in Louisiana. While she was really good at crunching numbers, it wasn’t what she wanted to pursue. She dropped out without telling her family and decided to move to Minnesota where her then-boyfriend was living. Shortly before she was scheduled to move, her relationship ended. She went ahead and moved anyway and enrolled in a small college in Rochester as a counseling psychology major.

“I was living on my own in the dorms, and it was my first time away from my family, out of an emotionally challenging environment, and it was freeing. I could explore the city and hang out with my friends anytime. It was a really great but challenging time in my life.”

Her path took another sharp turn when she realized after graduating that the college was not accredited. She moved back home to Louisiana and enrolled at an online university that would accept her credits, eventually earning a master’s degree in human services counseling.

She then worked in community counseling for a few years, which confirmed that she “absolutely loved it.” But she knew that if she wanted to advance in the field, she had to attend an accredited university and earn a professional license.

She enrolled in another college and graduated with her second undergraduate degree in 2020, three days before Hurricane Laura hit the Gulf Coast. She was displaced from her home for a month-and-a-half before deciding to move back to Minnesota, where, she says, “(it) felt like home."

A Curious, Compassionate Mind

Amanda has always been fascinated by psychology and relationship dynamics. As a teenager, she read books on families, couples, and personal relationships. “I would read tons of books on that stuff,” she says. “I think it was an effort to understand my family and what I went through and how difficult my childhood was. And it just went from there.”

In Louisiana, Amanda worked at a substance use disorder treatment facility. From there, she went to a juvenile male sexual offender residence, then served as a community counselor for a program run by the state, where she would often visit people in their homes.

“When you're in their environment, you develop a different relationship with them, because you see where they're at; you see how they live and meet other people in their family. I worked in a lot of very impoverished areas, places that I was told to never go to when I was growing up. It opened my eyes to a different world that I'm not used to and have been taught to fear. And I actually loved it.”

After moving back to Minnesota she was hired at a crisis residence, then as a psychiatric associate in the high acuity adult unit at Fairview. She learned about the Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) master’s program from a coworker and decided to apply.

A Life-Changing Experience

“I got accepted, and I was ecstatic,” she says. “I've never been to a large university before, especially in person. It was very intimidating.” While at orientation, she met an IBH classmate with whom she remains close today. “We've gone through this whole journey together and have stayed connected. Having met that one person and having class with other people who were just amazing really helped ease my nervousness and anxiety.”

Amanda recently passed her LADC licensure exam and is now completing her first internship at Lodging Plus before graduating in December. After that, she will complete a second internship at Peak Behavioral Health, on her way to becoming an LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor).

Even though Amanda has worked in the mental health field for over 10 years and already held three degrees before she enrolled at the U of M, she says she learned so much more than she expected in the IBH program.

“The way in which it's covered, the discussions we have in class, and how the material is taught has enhanced my knowledge. It's been a lot more thought-provoking than my other experiences. There's even been things I've changed my mind on. It's been a life-changing experience. It's also the best academic experience I've ever had. I feel the most proud I've ever felt.”

Advice for Incoming Students

“Don't be nervous or afraid. We're all nervous. It took a while for me to feel settled, but it gets easier, just knowing everybody's in the same boat and feeling the same way. There's so much support. All of the teachers are amazing. They take the time to answer questions and explain things. Everyone is so down to earth and helpful.”

Memorable Courses

• Differential Diagnosis with Keyur Desai
• Motivational Interviewing with Jennifer Weigelt