Embracing Growth and Giving Back Through Counseling Psychology

“So anytime an opportunity presents itself—and if I feel like I’m capable of doing it—I just do it,” says Jonita Rivera, reflecting on her decision to return to school. Rivera works as an office specialist at the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), which partners with Alaska Pacific University (APU) to help employees pursue higher education. This spring, she graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Counseling Psychology from APU.

Rivera is Cup’ik and carries the traditional name Arnapagaq, honoring her grandmother. She is from Chevak, a rural village on Alaska’s western coast and home to the Qissunamuit Tribe, one of only two Cup’ik groups. With warmth and pride, she describes how her generation grew up in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region “like free-range chickens… with the luxury of growing up in organic land full of fresh air, freedom, and simplicity.”

Now living in Anchorage with her husband and four children, Rivera says her children are a major motivation for completing her degree. “I want to be a role model for them,” she says. Between parenting, work, and studies, she also enjoys crafting, home projects, and spending time with family and friends, and she’s currently working on her goal of becoming more physically active. Rivera also serves as Chair of the Policy Council for the Cook Inlet Native Head Start, where all of her children attended preschool.

Finding Strength Through Counseling Psychology

“I honestly didn’t intend to be any type of counselor,” Rivera admits. But that changed in Fall 2024 when she took Counseling Skills with Eli Michael. The course gave her practical tools and a new perspective. It also revealed her capacity to help others through their trauma, even while working through her own.

She’s already applied these skills in meaningful ways, particularly in supporting her stepson, a high-functioning individual on the autism spectrum. When she first entered his life, he struggled with anxiety and adjustment. With a soft smile, she says, “Now he’s thriving. I’m so proud of him.”

Personal and Professional Growth

Rivera’s personal mission is rooted in healing: “I want to grow as much as I possibly can—as a person, a mother, a wife, and a friend,” she says. “My mission is to heal, reflect, and love myself. Trusting that this journey inspires others to do the same. I use my influence to create a positive and empowering culture for those around me.”

Professionally, she’s committed to serving organizations that uplift Indigenous communities across Alaska and she’s seriously considering a future as a counselor.

APU: A Place to Open Up

At APU, Rivera found a sense of belonging. “The staff and the environment are really genuine,” she says. “It’s a small campus, and that made it easier to open up. It didn’t feel overwhelming like a big classroom might.”

She was pleasantly surprised to reconnect with other Indigenous students she had known from playing basketball as a child. “There are so many Indigenous students here. It made it feel more comfortable.”

Of the Counseling Psychology program, she reflects, “It definitely helped me grow. I don’t think I would have grown as much as I did without it.”

Senior Project: Supporting Indigenous Parenting Through Home Visiting

Rivera’s senior project grew from personal experience. When she became a mother at 18, she participated in the Nutaqsiivik Tribal Home Visiting Program through Southcentral Foundation. The program offers in-home support from nurses on topics such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, parenting, and home safety. For Rivera, it became a lifeline—her nurse even felt like a surrogate mother.

Her project proposes expanding this model within the Alaska Native Tribal Health Care system to better support Indigenous families. “Colonialism disrupted traditional parenting knowledge,” she explains. Her research advocates for culturally grounded support systems that honor Indigenous parenting values. She’s currently focusing on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) in Bethel, drawing on her prior experience as a health aide to inform the work.

Words of Wisdom

One lesson Rivera hopes others take to heart: “Every experience is either a lesson or a blessing. It’s up to you to receive the message.”

She often turns to the wisdom of Uncle Iroh, the beloved mentor from Avatar: The Last Airbender. A few of her favorite quotes:

“In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.”
“Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else.”
“If you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see.”

As Rivera reflects on her journey, she embraces both the struggles and triumphs that brought her to graduation. “Good times become good memories,” she says. “But bad times become good lessons.”