Lindenwood University Professor of Counseling Dr. Sarah Patterson-Mills co-authored an article that was selected for the Career Developments Magazine Recognition Award last winter.

Patterson-Mills collaborated with Taylor Sanchez of Oberlin University and Conservator to write “The Intersection of Career Sustainability and Ethics,” which was published in the Winter 2022 Career Developments Association national publication. The article was then selected for the Career Developments Magazine Recognition Award for “excellent exploration of the vignettes and the pervasiveness of the top of ethics,” and “high-quality original content aligned with the issue’s theme.”

Patterson-Mills found out she won the award in May and received it during a ceremony in Chicago this past June.

“It was a real honor,” Patterson-Mills said. “During the award ceremony, they give lifetime achievement awards and some real prestigious awards. To be able to stand in line with people that received those awards was a little intimidating, but it was an honor.

“It was a nice recognition of all the years of editing, the quality of the writing, and the contribution to the Career Counseling Field.”

Part of the article Patterson-Mills wrote came from seven years of editing a column titled, “Ethics in a Nutshell,” for the National Career Development Association, which is a branch of the American Counseling Association.

“This was a really nice treat to be recognized for the article in there,” Patterson-Mills said. “They have an annual award where they pick one issue/article they like the best – they picked the ethics article I wrote for the entire year.”

Patterson-Mills was named associate editor of the magazine and hopes her work will help future counselors in their future career endeavors.

Additionally, Patterson-Mills incorporates her writing experiences, including past articles, in her counseling courses she teaches at Lindenwood, which allows her students to gain first-hand knowledge of the career field.

“I hope it helps career practitioners to be better equipped to handle issues of multi-cultural counseling clients and also to help raise awareness of the ethical standards that guide best practices,” she said.

“The associate editor provides the opportunity for my students to publish or co-author. In the past few years, there have been several articles they have been able to co-author with me.”