Markella Lanara
Markella is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with a professional placement in the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at GWU. She is a passionate mental health advocate, committed to enhancing the psychological well-being of GWU students. As a fellow, she aims to improve on-campus housing conditions, advocate for textbook affordability, and promote faculty awareness of student mental health needs. Markella is also dedicated to fostering a strong community for graduate students. In her current role at CAPS, she assists with outreach efforts to increase student awareness of available mental health resources and presents workshops on various mental health topics. As an undergraduate, Markella was an international student-athlete and first-generation college student, actively involved in leadership roles within athletics, her cultural student organization, and mental health initiatives, including the Mental Health Assembly in the Student Government Association (SGA).
Completed: Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, Minor in Sociology
Pursuing: Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Internship and Work Experiences:
- Children's National Hospital
- Academy Intern at Prison Fellowship - Stand Together Fellowships
- Student Athlete Captain - NCAA
- Sports Psychology Program Analyst - SurePeople
- Co Director - GW Listens
- Sports Psychology Intern - Spirit and Soul Training
Some of Markella's areas of interest include improving feeling of community and belonging at GWU especially for grad students; increasing professor’s sensitivity to student’s mental health and wellbeing; textbook affordability; housing; exploring how modern technology, AI and VR can be used in counseling to enhance therapeutic outcomes; student-athlete wellbeing.
Markella is placed in the office of Counseling and Psychological Services.