Shacambria Wright (MS/MHC '25), a student in the Mental Health Counseling program at PCOM, has always seen herself helping others. “Around the age of nine, I knew that I would be in the counseling space and would often emulate sessions with teddy bears,” she shared.
At 19, a spontaneous conversation left a lasting impact and solidified her calling. “I struck up a conversation with a young girl, maybe about 13 years old. We talked for an hour or so, just casually,” she recalled. “When she was leaving, she told me she had been planning to end her life that day, but our conversation gave her hope. She said I saved her life.” That moment, she says, changed everything. “It was then I realized that listening is the best medicine. Sometimes, just being present with someone can make all the difference.”
Shacambria first learned about PCOM through an old colleague who was also in the process of applying.“ Every day, she would come in and share small details about the Counseling program that piqued my interest,” Shacambria recalled. Intrigued and wanting to learn more, she reached out to Lisa Corbin, PhD, LPC, NCC. “Dr. Corbin was incredibly warm and welcoming. She took the time to really listen to me, answer all my questions, and made me feel like I already had a place at PCOM.”
“I only applied to one graduate school,” Shacambria said. “PCOM really taught me how to incorporate the mind, body, and spirit. I learned how these three things influence pathology in mental health.”
As a student, Shacambria balanced coursework with raising five daughters and working full-time. “It’s not every day that you see a mother of five daughters pursuing a graduate degree,” she said. “This is for Kayla, Mackenzie, Reagan, Aria, and Winter. Girls can do anything! I want my girls to know that.”
She plans to earn her LPC license, open a private practice, teach future counselors, and create an evidence-based model to support Black women struggling with high-functioning depression.
Her advice to current and prospective students: “You are where you are supposed to be right now. Time is an illusion; you're not too old, you’re not too young, you don’t have too many kids—anytime is the best time to start.”
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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Email: allywe@pcom.edu
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