Vernette Porter

I’m Vernette Porter, a proud 2009 graduate of USC Upstate, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Experimental Psychology and minored in Sociology. I was born and raised in Spartanburg, and I wanted to go to college outside of my hometown so that I could get the experience of living away from home.

After graduating from high school in 2005, I enrolled at the College of Charleston, but I began to realize that it was not a good fit for me. I informed my mother about my concerns, and she asked me if I considered transferring to USC Upstate, where she and my grandmother attended and graduated in 1980.

Once I did my research, I applied and felt a sense of relief when I received my acceptance letter. As I was preparing to attend the New Student Convocation in 2006, I knew I was home when I entered USC Upstate’s campus. Being at USC Upstate was what I needed in my life at that time. While I was starting my sophomore year, my father was battling Stage 4 colon cancer, and he passed away in October 2006.

During my time of grief, I felt a sense of community and support from the Psychology Department as well as the Learning Resource Center within the School of Nursing, where I was working part-time, and that helped me to stay focused on staying on track to graduate.

As time progressed, I had opportunities that helped me to grow as a student and person, including being inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society of Psychology, and conducting a research study regarding domestic violence and its impact on children with Dr. Jennifer Parker and Dr. Stefanie Keen. It was featured at the 5th Annual SC Upstate Research Symposium in 2009.

After graduating from USC Upstate with a 3.9 GPA in May 2009, I knew that I wanted to enroll in graduate school to continue my education, but I also knew that I needed to take some time for myself to fully process my father’s death. In 2011, I decided that it was time to return to school and I began my graduate school journey at Winthrop University.

I earned my Master of Education in Counseling and Development with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May 2014 and began exploring roles in counseling. In 2015, I began my journey in the counseling field as a clinical counselor with Keystone Substance Abuse Services in Rock Hill, SC. During my time there, I eventually became a clinical supervisor as well as obtained three South Carolina-issued counseling licenses.

Currently, I’m the behavioral health care coordinator at North Central Family Medicine in Rock Hill, SC, where I work closely with the medical providers to provide counseling services to all patients. In addition to my coordinator role, I provide clinical supervision to individuals who are pursuing their counseling license in South Carolina and will begin providing clinical supervision for North Carolina supervisees in 2026.

Helping others is my passion and if I can make a positive impact by helping a patient gain insight, teaching counseling skills to supervisees, or providing clinical expertise regarding a specific case, I know that I’ve done my job.

When I’m not conducting counseling or supervision sessions as well as reviewing cases and completing expert reviews, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends; volunteering with the Children’s Ministry at my church; serving as a board member for Safe Passage, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides free services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in York and surrounding counties; and attending concerts as well as comedy shows.

Living in Rock Hill, SC, which is about 30 minutes away from Charlotte, NC, gives me the opportunity to attend events that are happening in a major city without actually having to live there.

In hindsight, USC Upstate didn’t just give me a degree—it helped me to continue the legacy that my mother and grandmother started when they attended and to show that with prayer, perseverance, and determination, I can achieve all of my goals. I’m grateful for all the professors and experiences that I had at USC Upstate, which set the foundation for me to become the professional and person that I am today.