Mallory Ottaway

College senior. Grad student. Student Government president. At UHC, Mallory Ottaway accomplishes all three at once.

WWhile working full time, she’s taking full advantage of UHC’s early-entry graduate counseling program, flexible course schedules and supportive community to accelerate her master’s degree, lead on campus and gain field experience.

As the Student Government Association president, she’s planned community events and helped new students navigate their first week of school. She’s mentored young girls in the Orleans Parish rehabilitation program for non-violent juvenile offenders. Now she’s focusing on accomplishing what she’s most passionate about: getting the credential to help children cope with difficult life experiences.

Find your career calling at UHC

Mallory knows what it’s like to experience a difficult childhood. That’s why she’s making it her life’s work to protect and nurture children through counseling. “When you’re placed in difficult situations, you don’t have to become a statistic,” Mallory said. “You don’t have to be a product of your environment. I’ve been in counseling my whole life, and it helped me. I want to do that for another child.”

Identifying triggers

For six months, Mallory interned with the Orleans Parish Diversion Program, an intensive rehabilitative program for non-violent juvenile offenders. They participate in a counseling treatment plan instead of prosecution.

“The Diversion Program gives people who commit a crime a second chance,” said Mallory, who mentored juvenile girls in group therapy. “I tried to get the girls to open up and talk about why they committed the crimes that they did and about what was going on in their home lives. I wanted the girls to be able to consider me as a support system—a mentor—and to come to me if they thought about re-offending, and we could identify their triggers. For a lot of them—the ones I was able to get through to and still talk to—they see me as a support system.”

Balancing work and life

As a full-time legal assistant, Mallory meticulously manages her day, but she finds time and the support to make it all work. “Prioritizing is super important,” Mallory said, “I’ll do homework on my lunch break or at night or while I’m waiting for my class to start. I have a very supportive work team and supportive teachers who understand that I work full time.” 

Only at UHC: a community that cares

Mallory says that her diverse classmates, approachable professors and small classes make UHC a unique experience. “I don’t think you could get this experience anywhere else,” Mallory said. “We’re not your typical college. Many students have families—they have kids, husbands and full-time jobs. When things do pop up at work, my classmates and professors understand because they know that I’m a hard worker.”