Emerging Leaders

2025-2026

We are pleased to announce the NCACES 2025-2026 Emerging Leaders. 

Priyanka Jha, Ph.D.

Dr. Priyanka Jha is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at the University of Northern Iowa. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on mentorship, professional development, and cultural issues in counseling, with additional interests in researcher development, counselor education pedagogy, and trauma. She has presented and published nationally and internationally, including in Counselor Education and Supervision, and has received several prestigious research grants, including the ACES Student Grant Award. Dr. Jha serves on the editorial board of Journal of Humanistic Counseling and holds leadership roles such as Co-Chair of the AARC Research Committee (2025–26). She has been recognized with awards including the Glen E. Hubele National Graduate Student Award (2024–25).

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Tamarine Foreman


DeQuindre Hughes, Ph.D.

Dr. DeQuindre C. Hughes is a recent graduate of the Counselor Education and Supervision program at the Ohio State University. He currently serves as an assistant professor of instruction at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Originally from Tennessee, DeQuindre previously worked as an elementary school counselor. His research focuses on STEM education, career counseling, physical health, and reading interventions within elementary school settings. An avid trail runner and pizza enthusiast, DeQuindre enjoys spending quality time with his wife while exploring museums, historical sites, and aquariums.

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Melissa Fickling 


Aysegul Ercevik, Ph.D.

Aysegul Ercevik (pronounced I-sha-gul Er-cha-vik) is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Missouri State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Ohio University and previously completed a Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychological Services in Education at Istanbul University, Türkiye. With more than 15 years of experience as a counselor and counselor educator, she has served as a high school counselor and faculty member at Amasya University. Dr. Ercevik has also held leadership roles in Türkiye and the U.S., including secretary of the Turkish Guidance and Psychological Counseling Association, treasurer of the Southeast Ohio Counseling Association, and ad hoc committee member for the ACA Foundation. Her research focuses on counselor training, supervision, cultural humility, and the mental health of counselor candidates and college students. She has presented nationally and internationally and published in peer-reviewed journals.

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Amber Randolph 


Sangeun Lee, M.Ed.

Sangeun Lee is a third-year doctoral student in Counselor Education at the Ohio State University. She earned her Master's degree in Counseling from Korea University and brings diverse field experience as a counselor at a Youth Counseling and Welfare Center in Seoul (Korea) and in K-12 schools in Ohio. Sangeun has supervised master’s-level school counseling students and co-taught several classes, including Professional School Counseling and Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling. She was recognized as Student of the Year in her program and received a research grant from the Office of International Affairs at Ohio State. Her research focuses on three interconnected areas: evaluating school counseling interventions, identifying protective factors against adverse childhood experiences, and supporting the professional development of school counselors and counselor educators. As a future counselor educator, Sangeun is committed to bridging research and practice to strengthen the counseling profession and advance equity in educational outcomes.  

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Yenitza Guzman 


Yanfei Mao, M.S., NCC

Yanfei is a second-year doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Northern Illinois University. Over the past several years, she has primarily worked with adult and student populations across college, outpatient, and community mental health settings. She also has experience supporting children, adolescents, and their families with neurodivergence. As a mental health counselor, she is passionate about working with individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds. Her recent work focuses on the professional development of international counseling students trained in the United States. She’s also interested in cultural humility, particularly its role in applying broaching in counselor education and supervision. Currently, she is working on a project in counselor education pedagogy, exploring how to teach counseling theories while adapting to the theoretical orientation development of counseling students. 

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. So Rin Kim 


Cierra Valles, M.A., NCC

Working in the service of others since 2007, Cierra Valles (they/them/we) follows the legacy of their ancestors to guide their interdisciplinary practice as a Xicanx learner, educator, scholar, consultant, and musician based in metro Detroit (Three Fires Land). Currently a doctoral student at Oakland University (MI), Cierra's work integrates anti-oppression frameworks and decolonial and Indigenous methodologies to cultivate culturally rooted, community-centered approaches to wellness in counselling and counselor education. Central to this work is the integration of traditional ancestral practices and expressive play to foster joyful resistance and resilience. Cierra walks with the wisdom of their elders and teachers, guided by sacred reciprocity and accountability to all their relations. Ometeotl.

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Nicole Bradley 


Magnolia Par, M.S.

Mana (Magnolia) Par is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Kent State University and serves as the 2025–2026 President of the Kappa Sigma Upsilon chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. She has over a decade of counseling experience working with trauma survivors, refugees, and university students facing mental health challenges. Her research focuses on trauma-informed practices, crisis response, and counselor well-being. Mana has presented at the ACA national conference and contributed to peer-reviewed publications. With clinical and teaching experience in both Malaysia and the United States, she brings a global perspective to her work. As an NCACES Emerging Leader, she is excited to support students and underserved populations through collaborative service.  

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Elvita Kondili 


Babatola Arogundade, M.A. 

Babatola Arogundade is a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Northern Illinois University, where he serves as a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Black Studies and teaches courses on African American experience and racism. He holds a Master’s in Guidance and Counselling from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and brings international perspective to his research on culturally responsive supervision, sandtray therapy, and the experiences of Black counselors-in-training. Babatola has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at national conferences, received multiple awards and grants, and volunteers mentoring youth through the Mentally Aware Nigerian Initiative and CASA program in Illinois.

NCACES Emerging Leader Program Mentor: Dr. Tonya Hammer