Maurice Smith, ’11, graduated from Muskingum with a sociology major and continued his education, completing two Master of Science degrees – one in psychology with an emphasis in industrial-organizational psychology and a second in psychology for professional counseling. He is in the process of applying for licensure and preparing to take the state exam to be a licensed counselor. Smith currently works at a community mental health center in downtown Columbus, Ohio as an Ohio Certified Peer Recovery Supporter.
Smith says he never anticipated the diversity and friendliness on campus in the surrounding community. He says, “I grew up in the inner city and it was completely different from the ‘Muskie Hello’ that I got introduced to.”
Smith adds, “My experiences at Muskingum University have aided in my success in many ways. From my time in Greek Life [Smith with a member of the Stag Club], I learned the value of teamwork and inclusiveness. Muskingum’s diverse student body led me to learn so much about different cultures and subcultures, [both] domestic and abroad. My fraternity was a bit of a microcosm of different personality types, cultural backgrounds, SES backgrounds, and overall ways of seeing the world. Respect for each other’s opinion is a staple of the club. This taught me how to listen to others and maybe disagree but do so in a respectable manner.”
Some of his most challenging classes taught Smith an important lesson: “to never give up…schooling isn’t about being ‘smart’ so much as it is being determined and putting in the time.”
Smith adds that “the professors and smaller campus size were also helpful in shaping my success. I got to spend more time with professors discussing different theories we learned in class and really getting to dissect them.”