WEBVTT 00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:09.840 Hello. 00:00:09.840 --> 00:00:10.960 I'm Michelle Drennan. 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:14.080 I'm the Alumni Relations Director at Divine Mercy University. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:20.245 And I have the rare opportunity today to talk to one of the individuals who hires our graduates. 00:00:20.625 --> 00:00:23.045 And being in alumni relations, that's very important. 00:00:23.345 --> 00:00:25.525 I'm gonna introduce you to Samuel Bryant. 00:00:25.745 --> 00:00:35.110 Samuel is actually in Tempe, Arizona, and his, wonderful counseling program is called Witness to Love Family Counseling Services. 00:00:35.650 --> 00:00:40.550 Right now, he currently has hired one of our graduates and he has an intern, which is a big compliment. 00:00:40.850 --> 00:00:47.995 So I guess my first question would be, Samuel, what is it that draws you to hire Divine Mercy University graduates? 00:00:48.775 --> 00:00:53.995 Well, when we got started well, when I got started as a therapist, I knew I wanted to serve the Catholic community. 00:00:54.535 --> 00:00:59.195 So in order to serve the Catholic community, you wanna be familiar with what Catholics believe. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:05.220 So I really feel God is calling us once again to serve this very unique, population. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:35.780 And so I was looking at Divine Mercy as a a place where we could find therapists that were trained in Catholic understanding of the human person, which is very important because there's a lot of Catholic families out there that are afraid to get counseling for their children or even for themselves because they don't understand that the counselor will respect or even understand their, philosophy, their faith, or their conscience. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:40.500 So how did you come to find Divine Mercy University? 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:42.865 We still wanna be a household name, and we're working on it. 00:01:42.865 --> 00:01:44.885 But how did you find us? 00:01:45.265 --> 00:01:49.445 So many years ago, I was involved with Raynham Priestley. 00:01:50.065 --> 00:01:57.990 And so I knew about the Divine Mercy when it was called the Institute for something. 00:01:58.290 --> 00:01:59.830 IPS in yes. 00:01:59.970 --> 00:02:00.470 Yes. 00:02:00.930 --> 00:02:04.950 So I've kind of watched its development over the years. 00:02:05.010 --> 00:02:24.415 And then when I became a therapist myself and I knew we wanted to expand, we actually have contacted Divine Mercy, because we knew we wanted well, I actually wanna go out and visit and, even give a presentation there about what we do at Witness. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:38.020 There's graduates that, in particular, wanna work with the Catholic community and then take what we understand and know about the human person as Catholics and spread that to other faith backgrounds. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.035 That's a real the heart of our goal there. 00:02:41.035 --> 00:02:41.635 Got it. 00:02:41.635 --> 00:02:42.355 That's true. 00:02:42.355 --> 00:02:45.095 Now how long have you actually had your practice? 00:02:45.635 --> 00:02:46.935 So I'm 59. 00:02:46.995 --> 00:02:51.575 I started my masters when I was 47, finished when I was 50. 00:02:51.870 --> 00:02:54.290 So we've had the practice for the last six years. 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:55.970 I've raised my legs. 00:02:56.270 --> 00:03:00.830 I often say to future students, it really doesn't matter how old you are. 00:03:00.830 --> 00:03:04.510 It's really how much passion you have for what you're doing. 00:03:04.510 --> 00:03:05.390 That is right. 00:03:05.390 --> 00:03:05.790 Absolutely. 00:03:05.790 --> 00:03:06.290 Absolutely. 00:03:07.075 --> 00:03:15.975 So what have you found, you can just name two or three, are the qualities of the individual that you hired that you continue to say, I'm so glad I hired you? 00:03:16.195 --> 00:03:16.695 Yes. 00:03:17.555 --> 00:03:31.470 The first person, Liberty Richardson, she's just so, like, down to earth and solid in her formation, which gives her a confidence when she's working with her clients and a clarity. 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:42.645 It's I'm really amazed at how the word that comes to mind is professional, but, empathetic she is with the client. 00:03:42.645 --> 00:03:43.865 It's just been amazing. 00:03:44.405 --> 00:03:52.510 And her, educational foundation from Divine Mercy University, I think, just gives her a confidence that she understands a human person. 00:03:52.890 --> 00:03:58.010 And that's and that's the that's just at the heart of it. 00:03:58.010 --> 00:03:59.210 It's the essence of it. 00:03:59.210 --> 00:03:59.610 Yes. 00:03:59.610 --> 00:04:00.090 Yes. 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:02.010 It it makes all the difference in the world. 00:04:02.010 --> 00:04:02.775 That's testing. 00:04:02.775 --> 00:04:05.915 Now how long have you had our current student who's the intern? 00:04:06.455 --> 00:04:11.435 He started, I believe, in January or February of this year. 00:04:11.495 --> 00:04:12.635 So he just started. 00:04:13.095 --> 00:04:21.240 So he's still in his, yeah, he's still in his first, I don't know if they call it semester. 00:04:22.340 --> 00:04:22.840 Right? 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:30.185 And he's, once again, very mature, very sound. 00:04:30.885 --> 00:04:31.385 Right? 00:04:31.445 --> 00:04:33.785 Speaks with a lot of confidence and understanding. 00:04:34.405 --> 00:04:45.160 We actually got the meta model of the human person for our whole staff to be able to study and be at at their disposal at any time. 00:04:45.540 --> 00:04:47.380 So, I've watched Aaron. 00:04:47.380 --> 00:04:54.760 Aaron has sat in with me on a number of with a number of clients, and his ability to just jump right in. 00:04:55.885 --> 00:04:59.745 A lot of, interns wouldn't have the confidence to just jump in. 00:05:00.045 --> 00:05:08.070 But once again, I think the educational background gives them confidence that they have a clear understanding of of who the human person is. 00:05:09.190 --> 00:05:17.110 First of all, let us express our appreciation that you're hiring our graduates, now doing clinical rotations with them, and we look forward to serving you. 00:05:17.110 --> 00:05:21.930 Your gift of time today is so valuable, and I look forward to staying in touch with you. 00:05:22.230 --> 00:05:23.190 Thank you so much. 00:05:23.190 --> 00:05:24.045 God bless you. 00:05:24.205 --> 00:05:24.705 Awesome.