{"id":225335,"date":"2025-01-09T12:21:31","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T17:21:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=225335"},"modified":"2025-05-09T10:36:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T14:36:11","slug":"how-loss-and-war-shaped-a-montclair-state-university-students-research-and-passion-for-counseling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2025\/01\/09\/how-loss-and-war-shaped-a-montclair-state-university-students-research-and-passion-for-counseling\/","title":{"rendered":"How Loss and War Shaped a Montclair State University Student\u2019s Research and Passion for Counseling"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is one of several stories highlighting<\/em> Winter Commencement 2025<\/a> graduates pursuing the American Dream and who have<\/em> found a quality education and sense of belonging at Montclair State University.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sailume Walo-Roberts came close to stepping away from her doctoral studies. It was her terminally ill daughter who urged her to keep going. \u201cDo you want this, mom? Do you really want this?\u201d her daughter asked. Walo-Roberts replied yes. \u201cThen do it! Finish it!\u201d Walo-Roberts made a promise \u2013 and she\u2019s about to honor it.<\/p>\n

Walo-Roberts will fulfill that promise to her daughter and herself by walking across the stage to receive her PhD in Counselor Education<\/a> at Montclair State University\u2019s Winter Commencement 2025<\/a> on January 13. The milestone will be bittersweet. At 22, Dinsio Nia Adassa Walo-Wright, who inspired her mother\u2019s perseverance, passed away in her mother\u2019s arms in \u201ca beautifully sad moment\u201d in 2019 after a battle with brain cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cDinsio\u2019s words carried me through when the weight of responsibilities, expectations and self-doubt felt too heavy to carry,\u201d says Walo-Roberts, whose husband, Joel, sons Noah and Nyon, mother, Edith Smith, and numerous family members and friends \u2013 \u201cmy community,\u201d she notes \u2013 will be on hand to witness her achievement.<\/p>\n

As a chosen Commencement speaker, Walo-Roberts plans to tell her fellow College for Community Health<\/a> graduates: \u201cEach of us carries our own story, a series of battles fought and won \u2013 and those stories have shaped us into who we are today. This degree is not just a piece of paper; it\u2019s a testament to our resilience and courage. But what will we do with it? Let\u2019s use this achievement to open doors for others, to speak up for those unheard, and to build a world that\u2019s more just, inclusive and compassionate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walo-Roberts is committed to inclusivity and compassion. \u201cSailume is a warm, thoughtful and generous person, and she gives her everything to her students, colleagues, and, of course, her friends, family and community,\u201d says Department of Counseling Interim Chair Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia, who served as Walo-Roberts\u2019 advisor and dissertation chair.<\/p>\n

Ahluwalia says that Walo-Robert\u2019s dissertation, which she dedicated to her daughter, on Liberian women\u2019s testimony of war, trauma and acculturation, \u201cis strong, inspiring and hard to read because it gives you a real understanding of what Liberian refugees experienced, how they made meaning of these experiences and how they moved forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sailume Walo-Roberts dedicated her dissertation defense to her daughter who made her promise she would complete her doctorate in Counseling. (Photo courtesy of Sailume Walo-Roberts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overcoming Loss and Advocating for Justice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walo-Roberts has experienced more than her share of tragedy and loss, and it\u2019s made her resolute in her commitment to social justice and helping others.<\/p>\n

A native of Liberia, West Africa, Walo-Roberts came to the United States in 1986 as a teenager, joining her mother, who was serving with the Liberian Mission to the United Nations. Shortly after, the First Liberian Civil War broke out, leading to her family\u2019s application for political asylum. While she and her immediate family found safety in the U.S., they lost nearly 40 family members during the 14-year war, while others were scattered as refugees worldwide.<\/p>\n

For more than a decade, Walo-Roberts served as the director of a countywide rape crisis center, where she provided counseling, advocacy and community training to prevent sexual violence. A licensed professional counselor, she was a key contributor to the New Jersey Attorney General\u2019s committee that developed statewide standards for treating sexual assault survivors.<\/p>\n

\"Sailume
Despite tremendous loss, Sailume Walo-Roberts is known for her quick wit, ready laugh and her fashion sense and is beloved by those in the Department of Counseling, according to Professor Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia.(Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Montclair: A Community that Inspired Confidence<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While pursuing a doctoral degree had long been in the back of her mind, the timing never seemed right, says Walo-Roberts. When years of listening to women\u2019s stories of rape and abuse led to burnout, Walo-Roberts walked away from her demanding role at the crisis center. That break led her to Montclair, where she found a sense of belonging and personal growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I think of Montclair, I think of the relationships and connections that I made,\u201d she says. \u201cI came into my own at Montclair in terms of the confidence that I got as a clinician, as a scholar, as a researcher \u2013 all of those skills that were honed at Montclair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Walo-Roberts is an adjunct professor at New York University\u2019s Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness program. She also runs her private practice, Sankofa Counseling Services LLC, in New Jersey. Her research and expertise focus on violence against women, gender equity, trauma, refugee acculturation, multicultural counseling and the experiences of people of color in higher education.<\/p>\n

Guided by the principle, \u201cTo whom much is given, much is expected,\u201d she remains dedicated to using her platform to foster a more just and equitable world.<\/p>\n

Grief, Resilience and Legacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walo-Roberts describes the loss of her daughter as \u201cprofound and life-altering,\u201d and says it has impacted her research and her work as a counselor, making her more empathetic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it has shaped me in ways that have made me a more empathetic, compassionate and impactful counselor and researcher. I now approach my clients with a heightened sense of empathy and openness. I’m able to sit with their pain and suffering in a way that I couldn’t before, and I strive to create a safe space for my clients to share their stories and find healing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her research explores the intersection of grief, trauma and resilience, with a particular focus on how individuals and communities navigate profound loss. \u201cMy personal journey has given me a unique perspective and a deep commitment to this important work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she goes to her Commencement, Walo-Roberts will undoubtedly speak to her daughter. She\u2019s built an altar for her ashes and photos on a bookcase, the first thing she sees when she descends the stairs in her Maplewood home every morning. \u201cI talk to her throughout the day. I encourage family and friends to talk about her because that’s how we keep our loved ones alive,\u201d she says. \u201cI’m grateful for the opportunity to honor my daughter’s memory by using my experiences to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n

She knows Dinsio would be proud and say, \u201cCongratulations, Dr. Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story by Staff Writer<\/em> Sylvia A. Martinez<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Are you a\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Prospective Student\u00a0 or Parent? <\/strong>Learn more about Counseling<\/a> or other programs in the College for Community Health<\/a> or plan a visit to our campus<\/a> and take the first step in applying to become a Red Hawk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Journalist? <\/strong>Contact the Media Relations team<\/a> for assets or to schedule an interview with a graduating student.<\/p>\n