Dionne Trice M’20 will freely admit how easy it is to become distracted and let obstacles discourage you from reaching your dreams.
But on her journey to obtaining her M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, Trice reminded herself that she was a sound investment.
“I had multiple obstacles ranging from health issues to time management and everything in between,” she said. “There were lots of opportunities to get distracted, discouraged, and to just give up. However, the more I realized that I was investing in something precious — myself — I knew I could not allow or afford to let anything distract me.”
Trice works full time as a therapist with The Family Development Center in Saint Paul, Minn. Becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist was always her dream. Now that Dionne is one step closer to achieving that licensure, her dreams have extended to becoming a supervisor or potentially opening her own practice one day. Passionate about racial equality, she sees a great need for people of color in the field and would like to see more financial and systemic outreach in the communities she serves.
“Gaining my degree at Saint Mary’s has been the first step in accomplishing all of these goals,” she said. “I chose Saint Mary’s because I wanted a reasonably priced, conveniently located, brick and mortar university that was accredited. Saint Mary’s has a good reputation, and, being a mature learner, who started pursuing her goals later in life, the availability of an accelerated program was highly important.”
Trice tells others who are considering applying, “Time passes one way or another, so why not let it pass gaining what you want?”
“At times, the efforts to balance the program demands with the rest of my life was exhausting,” she admitted. “I believe having caring instructors, who took real interest in my progress as a student, and alumni, who encouraged me and helped me navigate certain areas, made my overall experience a good one. I appreciate everything I learned and the connections I built here. I feel very well prepared for what lies ahead.”