Military experience drives student to pursue counseling career

Posted on Friday, November 11, 2022

After facing the pressures associated with working in a warzone, former Army Sgt. Bryan Hall ’23 has dedicated his post-military life to becoming a counselor and being a voice for veterans who tend to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder in silence.

“I have witnessed firsthand how PTSD is treated upon completion of the military,” he said. “I want to be able to help other service members who have sustained trauma be able to get through it in hopes of mental healing and clarity.”

Once he completes his graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at LC, Hall said he plans to start out as an Associate Professional Counselor.

“I will work my way up to a Licensed Professional Counselor,” he said. “I hope to start my own practice someday.”

Before becoming a college student, he was a soldier and then an officer.

Hall enlisted in the Army in 2006, five years after watching the events of 9/11 unfold on television.

“I vividly remember the images from that day and the days following the horrific event,” he said. “I saw our country come together and it created a sense of patriotism and unity within communities across the U.S.”

Hall served in the U.S. Army from April 2007 until July 2011 in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was an infantryman in the 75th Ranger Regiment, 3rd Ranger Battalion.

“I’ve been deployed four times in the Army and another five times as a security contractor,” he said. “I was able to serve with some of the finest men that the United States has to offer and have made lifelong friends because of it.”

Military service runs in Hall’s family.

“I have a grandfather who is a Retired Command Sgt. Maj. in the Army, a grandfather who was a Retired Tech Sgt. in the Air Force, and an uncle who is a Retired Col. in the Army,” he said.

Hall, whose grandfather in the Air Force passed away in 2014, said he treasures the written messages from him.

“He sent me letters while I was in basic training, Ranger School and every deployment I was on with the Army,” he said. “Those notes mean a lot to me and are kept in my safe.”

Hall explained how people can observe Veteran’s Day.

“Providing information about the national holiday would be good to help people understand what it means,” he said. “Sometimes Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day get confused for each other or get used interchangeably and that is usually one thing that frustrates veterans.”

He offered some advice for students interested in joining the military after graduation.

“When you receive your college degree, becoming an officer in the military will set you up for success in the civilian world by giving you skills and experiences that will set you apart from others,” Hall said.

 

Campus Notes

• As part of the college’s United Way campaign, faculty and staff councils brought non-perishable donations last week for the LaGrange Personal Aid Interfaith Food Closet. Faculty members held a competition to see which department could bring in the most items. The Department of Mathematics and Sciences was declared the winner. “The Department is just one branch of the caring, compassionate LaGrange College faculty and staff, all of whom simply saw that there were others in need and responded to that need,” said Dr. Greg McClanahan, Chair of the department. “It is our hope that the LC gifts will provide meals to members of the larger LaGrange community, making the upcoming holidays a little brighter for some of those who are struggling.”
• Two LC business majors took first place in the Student Showcase at the 2022 Region 3 Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs Conference last weekend in Asheville, North Carolina. Cindy Deleon, junior Accounting major, and Lindsey Green, junior Accounting and Marketing/Entrepreneurship double major, developed their presentation from the theme "Stronger Together: Creating Collaborative Alliances.”

• Four LC voice students were named winners at the 2022 Georgia National Association of Teachers of Singing student auditions. They were Emily Grace Childs ’25, second place, sophomore women (classical); Erika Hill ’23, first place, senior women (musical theatre); Jared McGregor ’23, second place, senior men (musical theatre); and Isabella Rapoza ’26, first place, freshmen women (musical theatre). Other students who competed include Tyler Ginn ’26, Carlie Jones ’24, Aria Mabry ’26, and Stevie Nix ’23. Eight singers from the studios of Dr. Toni Anderson and Dr. Andrea Mueller Jarmon participated in the competition, held Nov. 4-5. James Camp was the collaborative artist. Over 200 students from colleges and private studios across Georgia were at the event.
• International Education Week, presented by the Office of Global Engagement, kicks off on Monday, Nov. 14. The week’s events include:

        Monday - Study Abroad Information Session, 1 p.m., Caswell Plaza

        Tuesday - London Study Abroad program presentation, 11:15 a.m., Bailey Room, Smith Hall

        Wednesday - Gilman International Scholarship presentation, 4 p.m., Multimedia Classroom, Lewis Library

        Thursday - Swapping Places: Visiting and Exchange Students at LC, 11:15 a.m., Multimedia Classroom, Lewis Library; International Coffee, Tea and Desserts, 2 p.m., Second Floor Student Lounge, Smith Hall

• Prospective students and their families will come to the Hill for the final fall Preview Day on Saturday, Nov. 12. The next two events are planned for February and April 2023. For more information, visit the Preview Day website.

 

Collegiate Enrichment Events

Check LC Connect for Virtual CE events and instructions

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Opening Art Reception

11 a.m., Lamar Dodd Art Center

• The Lamar Dodd Art Center will host a reception for students, faculty and staff, and the public to come and view pieces from current Art majors and minors in “The Art of Adroitness,” a new exhibition in the LC Student Gallery.

Tuesday, Nov. 15

LC Alum Katie Hearn and Sports Internships

11:15 a.m., Corn Auditorium, Lewis Library

• Katie Hearn ’12 will talk about her work with the Atlanta Braves, overcoming challenges and how to focus on getting a sports internship.

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Study Abroad at the University of Roehampton, London

11:15 a.m., Bailey Room, Smith Hall

• In celebration of International Education Week, LC’s newest exchange partner, the University of Roehampton in London, will be introduced by Chloe Green, Study Abroad Manager at the university.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Artist Talk

8 a.m., First Floor Lecture Room, Lamar Dodd Art Center

• Forrest DeBlois, Cataloging and ILL Assistant at Lewis Library, will be presenting and discussing his personal artwork.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Swapping Places: Visiting and Exchange Students at LaGrange College

11:15 a.m., Multimedia Classroom, Lewis Library

• Learn about the college’s exchange partners and what it's like to be an international visiting or exchange student in the U.S. Students from Northern Ireland, Japan and Germany will talk about their home country, family, and school and how it compares to life at LaGrange College. Information will be shared on how LC students can become involved in this program.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Vocal Recital

7 p.m., Beason Recital Hall, West Side

• Voice students present various selections from classical and musical theatre.

 

Video of the Week

“Holly Jolly Joyful Jingles”

Experience an evening of family-friendly Christmas fun! LaGrange College Musical Theatre presents "Holly Jolly Joyful Jingles," December 2-4, in the Beason Recital Hall at West Side. Email for tickets: priceboxoffice@lagrange.edu

 

Sports

Men’s Basketball

LaGrange lost to Kennesaw State in an exhibition game Monday. The team faces Berry tomorrow (Saturday) in their first official game of the season.

Women’s Basketball

The Panthers dropped their season opener against Emory 79-57. The team will play at Berry tomorrow (Saturday).

Football

LC fell 35-21 at home Saturday against Southern Virginia, dropping to 1-7 on the season. The game honored the 2022 Panther seniors: Aaron Belt, De'Queze Fryer, Jaxon Harrell, Justin Harrell, Klynell Johnson, Avery Kingston, Roderick Kirkland, Shedrick Lindsey, Malachi Parker, Alex Rivera, Len Spivey and Emmanuel Vulue. 

Men’s Soccer 

The Panthers played Covenant College for the CCS Conference Championship on Saturday and came away with a 2-1 loss. The outcome doesn’t diminish a memorable season for the team, which ended 11-5-2 and won the CCS regular-season championship while tying the program's record for wins in a season.  

 

Calendar

(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)

Saturday, Nov. 12 – Football at Huntingdon, 2 p.m., Montgomery, Alabama

Saturday, Nov. 12 – Women’s Basketball at Berry (CCS/SAA Classic), 4 p.m., Rome, Georgia

Saturday, Nov. 12 – Men’s Basketball vs. Berry (Huntingdon Classic), 6 p.m., Montgomery, Alabama

Sunday, Nov. 13 – Women’s Basketball vs. Sewanee (CCS/SAA Classic), 1 p.m., Rome, Georgia

Sunday, Nov. 13 – Men’s Basketball vs. Millsaps (Huntingdon Classic), 4 p.m., Montgomery, Alabama

Wednesday, Nov. 16 – Women’s Basketball vs. Emory University, 7 p.m., Mariotti Gym

 

In the headlines

• Photos: LaGrange College hosts first ever men’s conference championship, LaGrange Daily News, Nov. 5

Category: Service, Students, Academics

Keywords: Military, Counseling