Since arriving at NC State in 2012, Monica Osburn, the Counseling Center’s executive director, has strived to fulfill the center’s mission of providing valuable mental health care services to students, especially by developing a strong staff of mental health professionals.
Recently, Osburn was recognized for her many years of service and leadership by the American College Counseling Association (ACCA), receiving the 2026 President’s Award for Distinguished and Transformational Leadership at the organization’s annual conference in Myrtle Beach, SC.
“When I’m reflecting on my time as a college counseling center director and look at the number of staff that I’ve mentored that are now directors themselves, the gratitude that I have for being able to do this work can feel overwhelming,” Osburn said. “It’s really special that so many other humans have trusted me with their career and their livelihoods, and given me the opportunity to help them grow. It’s really meaningful to be recognized publicly for that.”
Throughout her time at NC State, Osburn’s leadership has been essential to the Counseling Center’s mission of creating a thriving community for all students by offering mental health care services such as individual and group counseling, 24-hour crisis response, mental health educational programming and more.
“This recognition is so well deserved, as it reflects the lasting impact of Monica’s leadership not only at NC State, but across the broader college counseling community,” said Lisa Zapata, Division of Academic and Student Affairs senior associate vice chancellor. “Monica is a deeply respected professional whose work has transformed the lives of students as well as the colleagues she has mentored across the nation. We are incredibly fortunate to have Dr. Osburn at NC State.”
As a special surprise for Osburn, leadership from the ACCA informed Counseling Center staff that Osburn would receive the award at the conference, and many were there in person to celebrate her accomplishment.
“This is about the community,” Osburn said. “The college counseling community, and particularly what we’ve built here at NC State, is like no place I’ve ever been. To have the opportunity to partner together, to learn from one another, to give and receive support, it makes doing the work a lot easier. To have the community there as part of that made it that much better.”
One of these staff members was Kelly McConkey, a Counseling Center clinician who has worked with Osburn since 2015.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Osburn for more than a decade, and her leadership has shaped not only our Counseling Center but the people within it,” McConkey said. “She has been both a mentor and a role model to me throughout my career. She cares deeply about her staff and about every student we serve at NC State. Her dedication to the American College Counseling Association and her leadership in the field have also helped shape the profession as a whole. Her integrity, vision and tireless work on behalf of student well-being make this recognition incredibly well deserved. She is truly an alpha of our Wolfpack.”
Osburn has been part of the ACCA since 1997, when she joined as an emerging leader while she was completing her doctoral program at the University of Arkansas.
Over the years, she’s held a number of different roles with the association, starting out as an emerging leader, presenting at nearly all of the ACCA’s annual conferences, leading as president, a member of the governing board, serving on several committees, and, most recently, participating on the planning committee for last week’s annual conference.
“For me, service is a value,” Osburn said. “So giving back to the organization and being a strong partner is really important to me.”
This post was originally published in DASA.
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