Navy veteran turning experiences into career in counseling
What's My Why?
“There’s just a severe lack of availability of people who can focus on working with veterans, and even less, to my knowledge, that have experience as a veteran. Everybody who serves goes through something and has challenges and deserves support and respect for the sacrifices that they made.”
Horace Greeley needed a career change immediately.
The 2008 recession brought a sudden end to his beloved time in the theater where he worked as a scenic carpenter and actor.
“I had to move back home with my parents. I was kind of spinning gears as to how to start a new career in my early 30s. The Navy ended up being the best option.”
Horace served the military from 2012 to 2021. His time as a Mandarin linguist would unexpectedly lead him toward a completely new field—counseling.
He started doing research online for a university that offered programs in the subject and discovered UBalt’s M.S. in Counseling Psychology.
“I am grateful that after receiving my application, UBalt felt I was a good fit for the program and accepted me,” he said.
Outside of the classroom, Horace spends his time at The Bob Parsons Veterans Center. The center provides a variety of services and supports to the veteran and military-affiliated students in the UBalt community.
“There are no judgments. Everybody’s pretty chill,” Horace said. “I really appreciate the veterans center. They’ve been fantastic and helping me adjust, move forward and plan.”
Counseling seemed like the right path after the difficulties he himself endured and witnessed others face during his time in the service.
His decision to work as a linguist in the Navy traces to his undergraduate studies. He majored in international studies and lived in Tokyo for eight months. It piqued his interest enough that it became his guide when choosing his military role.
“I was glad I did it because it was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever put myself through,” he said. “I had three different people tell me I was going to fail out when I first got to the training because of my age. I never failed a test. Ever. I was good at it.”
The work, however, was trying.
“Doing that kind of work and working in that kind of field is why I’m actually now trying to transition into counseling. We don’t tend to get a lot of attention for the stress that it puts us through over time. It’s very high intensity, very high pressure. You’re expected to absorb a lot of information on a short-time scale.”
Since becoming a student, Horace found an opportunity working with a clinic that specifically serves veterans. He called it his “dream start.” There he can get a head start on the specialized training he needs to eventually earn his license as a clinical professional counselor. He hopes to run his own counseling service.
Horace wants to work with veterans and active members of the military because he sees a need for support that is not currently offered to them, at least to the extent truly needed.
“If they need counseling, what’s provided? There’s just a severe lack of availability of people who can focus on working with veterans, and even less, to my knowledge, that have experience as a veteran,” he said. “Everybody who serves goes through something and has challenges and deserves support and respect for the sacrifices that they made.”