'Building Better Lives'
OWU Student Completing Internship with National Alliance on Mental Illness
Name: Wes Horton '25
Hometown: Worthington, Ohio
High School: Thomas Worthington High School
Majors: Sociology and Psychology
OWU Connection Experience: Internship with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Horton has been working with the alliance's Mid-Ohio office since March 2024 and is gaining experience to help guide his future career.
NAMI, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, is "dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness."
Applying Knowledge
"I found this experience after talking to Dr. (Vicki) DiLillo in the Psychology Department as I wanted to find an internship revolving around helping with mental health. …
"Experiences like this NAMI internship matter because they challenge you to apply knowledge in a real-world setting."
Learning Empathy
"I learned more about strategies to express empathy through listening skills that NAMI uses for their support groups, which is similar to the listening skills of a therapist we learned about in class.
"These listening skills … will help me in the future in my work to either become a social worker or counselor."
My Favorite Moment
"Helping facilitate the NAMIWalk to spread mental health awareness as I got to learn from a supportive environment of mental health advocates." (The alliance's NAMIWalks invite supporters "to share their stories, build community, and walk together to achieve Mental Health for All.")
Involvement Outside the Classroom
"I run on the cross country and track team. I work as a teacher aide in the Early Childhood Center. I also serve as a board member on the Psychology Student Board as well as the Sociology Student Board."
Why I Chose OWU?
"I was first recruited to run here, and I enjoyed my time meeting the coaches and the runners. Then, after competing in the scholarship competition and winning the Wesleyan Scholarship, financially this was the right fit for me. I also loved the small classroom environment with more individualized attention."
OWU has prepared me to reach these goals through my rigorous classwork that has shown me my passion lies in helping others.
My Plans After Graduation
"My plan after graduation is graduate school. I have already applied to master's programs in social work and clinical mental health counseling.
"OWU has prepared me to reach these goals through my rigorous classwork that has shown me my passion lies in helping others and my professors, especially Dr. DiLillo, who has helped me throughout the graduate school application process."