Exploring Mental Health Careers: Dayne Miller’s Internship Journey

Fort Frye High School intern Dayne Miller presented to the Board of Education with the assistance of Fort Frye educator and BB2C Education Liaison Tracey Huck.

As a junior at Fort Frye High School, Dayne Miller took a big step toward his future with two powerful internship experiences through the Appalachian Children Coalition (ACC) this past school year. With a growing passion for mental health and helping others, Dayne completed both a 40-hour exploratory internship through BB2C as well as a 120-hour deep-dive internship directly through ACC working closely with Hopewell Health Centers staff at his school.

Dayne was able to engage in his internships thanks to teacher Tracey Huck, who is also the BB2C Education Liaison for the Fort Frye School District. Tracey often connects high school students from the district with local businesses to explore career opportunities and was able to connect him with BB2C. Her advice to Dayne, when he reached out to her was,  "Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Internships are the opportunity of a lifetime to discover your career passion.” She shares this advice with all students interested in interning.

Dayne’s time interning gave him a front-row seat to the day-to-day work of school-based mental health providers. While completing his shorter exploratory internship, he attended meetings; learned how to support students dealing with stress, anxiety, and mental health challenges; and even used the DSM-5 to understand diagnoses impacting high schoolers. His exploratory internship cemented his interest in working in the mental health field. He was able to continue into a deep-dive internship.

While completing his deep-dive internship, Dayne led discussions with students through the school’s health classes, teaching freshmen and sophomores about the five steps of mental wellness. He worked with ACC Workforce Development Director Anna Reed, who was able to work with all the deep-dive high school interns to introduce them to various mental health professionals each week to learn about their jobs and career pathways. Anna is particularly passionate about engaging students through internships. She reflected on working with Dayne and shared that “giving opportunities to students, who are our future workforce, to explore the mental health field while showcasing all the amazing work being done in our Appalachian communities truly makes this work a passion project. I am honored to be part of our region and see how inspired the students become when they get to make their own career pathways.”

Dayne’s main deep-dive internship project was completing a case study with Hopewell Health Center counselor Chelsea Eddy at Fort Frye. The case study was on a 17-year-old student facing hidden struggles, including family trauma and bullying. Dayne developed a thoughtful support plan recommending counseling and mentorship. He also had the chance to explore mental health articles, scholarships, and social work programs as he continued to create his career pathway. He even had the chance to share his journey and future goals with the Board of Education through a presentation. Chelsea was excited about the opportunity to work with Dayne, “We were so happy to have Dayne as our first high school intern at Fort Frye this year! He always came with great questions and showed a genuine interest in learning about the different career pathways in the mental health field. Unfortunately, we are struggling to find therapists in this area, so it is very exciting that BB2C and the ACC are working on initiatives to gain interest from high school students. We hope to see this program grow and that it will lead to a new generation of clinicians!” 

Dayne added, “I’ve learned so much. There are so many career paths in mental and behavioral health—being open to new ideas helped me find what I’m passionate about.”

Outside of school, Dayne enjoys football, fishing, golfing, and spending time with friends. He’s exploring social work programs at schools like Ohio University and taking Washington State College of Ohio classes in psychology and communications. After graduation, he plans to earn a master’s in social work and become a counselor—maybe starting in schools with middle or high school students, then launching his own practice.

His advice to other students: “Try new things! Internships give you experience, connections, and knowledge you can’t get in a classroom.”

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Expanding Student Career Awareness through the Career Speakers Series

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OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship: Empowering Educators in Appalachian Ohio