Making a Career of Counseling

His family had some reservations about him studying psychology. “They saw it as a fringe career path – one that was reserved ‘for others,’” James Zanker '01 said.

He worked and paid for all of his schooling without having to take out any student loans. In addition to earning a bachelor’s in psychology from UNCW, he received a Master of Arts Service Agency Counseling Degree from UNC Pembroke and is now the proud owner of Zanker Counseling Services, located in downtown Wilmington, NC.


“I had known for my entire cognizant life that I was talented at subjects related to human services and psychology,” he said. “I chose UNCW because of its fine reputation, the fact that is was part of the reputable UNC system and because of UNCW’s excellent psychology department.”

While at UNCW, he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and Psi Chi Psychology National Honor Society. He also served as a Student Ambassador and was a member of the UNCW Crew Team.

A licensed professional counselor, nationally certified counselor and licensed clinical addiction specialist, Zanker loves what he is able to give others through mental health counseling, life coaching or music arts therapy through a related business, Zanker Music Arts Therapy.

“They are all a continual thrill for me and I am working on improving and increasing the level of services that I can provide within each format,” he says.


Read more at We Are UNCW.

Meet the new members at-large of the Board of Directors

The UNC Wilmington Alumni Association welcomed four new members at-large to our Board of Directors. These individuals will provide leadership and guidance to the association during their three-year term of service.

Danielle Bryant ’02 earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration and now lives in Raleigh, NC, serving as Human Resources Manager at Amec Foster Wheeler. There she is responsible for implementing human resource management strategies and acts as a strategic partner to the executive management team. Additionally, Danielle volunteers as a Meredith College Business student mentor, Chair of a Human Resources Construction Council and member of the Raleigh Wake Human Resources Association.

Deborrah Newton ’83 earned a bachelor’s in English and is currently an attorney, licensed to practice law in both state and federal court. Owner of Newton Law Firm, Deborrah litigates trial and appeal cases, with a concentration in State and Federal Criminal Law. She has served as both Secretary and President of the Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers and is currently a member of Governor McCrory’s Mental Health and Substance Use Commission. Deborrah’s daughter Brittany is also a UNCW alumna, carrying on the UNCW legacy.

Cedrick Barrett ’00 attended UNCW on a full academic scholarship and earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration. Cedrick works as the Finance Director for the YMCA of Wilmington, Inc. where he is responsible for the fiscal management of the organization. Cedrick is currently a board member and past treasurer of DREAMS of Wilmington, and won the New Hanover County Partnership for Fatherhood Award in March 2016. He has remained actively involved with UNCW by attending alumni events and creating opportunities for students through partnerships with the career center and the Upperman African American Cultural Center.

Louis “Gus” Fennell, Jr. ’00 earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration, while serving on the Student Government Association as the Junior Class Senator and Senator at Large. Currently, Gus lives in Charleston, SC, and is a Vice President at BlackRock, Inc. where he works with investment professionals in North and South Carolina. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Board for the Cameron School of Business Economics/Finance department.

Additionally, the board welcomed new chapter representatives:

· Joey Morganthall ’07 – Charlotte Area President

· Will Owens ’98 – Triangle Area President

· Juliana Nesbit ’06 – Watson College of Education President

· Jamie Thompson ’03 – Communications Studies President

To learn more about the role of the Alumni Board of Directors, and renewing members Brian Cruz and Dawn McKernan, visit uncw.edu/alumni/board.html.

Coming Home to UNCW

Homecoming earns its name because alumni want to come back to UNCW - their home. I have a few months left at UNCW before I’m an alumna myself but I still went to the alumni events during Homecoming.

I work in the University Advancement Office as the Digital Marketing Intern. With every event that I attended, I was playing the role of both student and staff. I was at the International Festival on Saturday as part of my women’s a cappella group the Seabelles (that's me, all the way on the left), but I was also there to take pictures for Alumni Relations.

This was my first Homecoming experience. I didn’t know what to expect but I quickly realized why so much work is put into Homecoming – it’s a ton of fun! Technically I was working, but it didn’t feel like it. When we were under the TEALgate tent immersed in music from the UNCW Pep Band and a crowd of smiling faces, I knew I was coming back next year as an alumna. There was no way I was going to miss the good food and drink, the awesome light show, cornhole, bounce houses, catching up with other alumni – well, you get the picture. As a soon-to-be-graduating senior, it’s comforting to know I’ll be coming home in a year to see old bosses, professors, and friends at reunion events and the TEALgate.

UNCW Advancement/Christine Schulze '15