“Set goals, reach out for help and take time for yourself”

Linda Folger is the daughter of Bernadette Roberts and Andrew Folger of Tanana, where Linda was raised. Her maternal grandparents are the late Josephine and Lawrence Roberts of Tanana. Linda’s paternal grandparents are Elizabeth and the late James “Roy” Folger of Tanana.

A student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Linda is pursuing a master’s degree in education with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling. The degree draws on mental health therapy to help people develop practical solutions to life challenges.

Linda understands students who are uncertain what they want to do in life. “I struggled for years to find what I wanted to do career-wise,” she said. “But when I found it, everything seemed to fall into place.”

A turning point came when Linda enrolled in a psychology class as an undergraduate at UAF. Coursework came easily. “Because of all the strong role models I’d had growing up, I knew I wanted to work with children,” she said. She became interested in the mental health needs of children and went on to earn an undergraduate degree at UAF in psychology with an interdisciplinary minor in Alaska Native community health.

Linda credits her Doyon Foundation scholarship for relieving much of the worry over tuition and other costs so that she could focus on succeeding in her classes.

“School can be very demanding,” she said. “I learned early on to reach out for help. Doyon Foundation has helped me by always giving support when needed.” She has received Doyon Foundation scholarships each semester since her freshman year in 2012.

A believer in the power of goal setting, Linda is working full time while attending UAF part time with an eye on graduating with her master’s in education in 2021. She is a family advocate and child forensic interviewer at Stevie’s Place, within the Fairbanks-based Resource Center for Parents and Children.

After earning her master’s degree, Linda plans to obtain a certificate in children’s mental health and become licensed as a professional counselor. The field requires graduate credits in counseling as well as supervised experience and passing scores on a national exam. “Until then, I plan to continue working as an advocate in the community,” she said.

Her goal is to serve in areas where mental health resources to relieve trauma are limited: “Becoming a licensed professional counselor is important to me because I’ve seen firsthand the needs of children and adolescents.”

She volunteers with a local reading program for children as well as with United Way and Kinross, a Resource Center supporter and operator of a Fairbanks-area gold mine. When she’s not working or studying, Linda enjoys reading, watching scary movies and spending time with her dog.

“I know many people are aware of the term ‘self care’ and may even brush it off or ignore it,” she said. “No matter what the term means to you, remember to take for yourself.”