Great Lakes Christian College

Psychology/Counseling has quietly become one of Great Lakes Christian College’s most popular undergraduate programs, and the College continues to invest in it accordingly.

That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. Students are drawn to GLCC’s program because it does something most secular psychology departments won’t: it trains counselors to hold clinical rigor and biblical conviction together, rather than choosing one over the other.

Great Lakes Christian College has produced numerous graduates who have gone on to productive careers in the counseling field. Carl Pruitt is one such example, having graduated from GLCC in 1960 and who went on to a long career built almost entirely around Christian counseling.

That same formation is showing up in this year's graduating class, too. Sofia Marcolongo, a Psychology/Counseling major, was named GLCC's 2026 valedictorian and heads to graduate school this fall. She is evidence that the College, which produced a graduate like Carl six decades ago, is still turning out its strongest students today.

Read more: www.glcc.edu/where-counseling-meets-conviction/

We are less than two weeks away from the 33rd Annual Crusaders Golf Classic, and we would love to have you join us on Saturday, August 8, at Centennial Acres Golf Course!

The day begins with a 9:00 am shotgun start and is a great opportunity to enjoy a day of golf and fellowship while supporting GLCC Athletics.

Whether you want to put together your own foursome or would like to play and need help finding a group, we'd love to have you participate!

www.glcc.edu/event/crusaders-golf-classic/

Our staff continues to grow! A crew of students and staff from GLCC, joined by members of Delta Community Christian Church, welcomed Alisha Paddock and her family to Michigan by unloading their moving truck! Alisha will serve as our Registrar and we promised not to hold it against her that she brought a baby grand piano with her.

Every Sunday across the world, GLCC students and alumni serve in churches as staff and volunteers, fulfilling their calling as servant-leaders.
To explore your calling as a servant-leader, go to glcc.edu
To support the work of training servant-leaders, go to glcc.edu/give

Great Lakes Christian College Appoints Mahrley Parks as Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling

Great Lakes Christian College (GLCC) today announced the appointment of Mahrley Parks, MA, LPC-S, as Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling. Parks will lead the College's undergraduate psychology and counseling program, building on a role she has held at GLCC since 2021 and expanded into departmental oversight in 2023.

Parks brings both a clinical career and a personal history with GLCC to the position. A 2015 graduate of the College's own psychology/counseling and Bible theology program, she went on to earn a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Huntington University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Michigan. She is also the owner and a clinician at the Counseling Center of Great Lakes, a Lansing-area private practice she co-founded in 2020 that has since grown into a multi-clinician team serving clients across a wide range of therapeutic specialties.

Before entering private practice, Parks spent five years at Sunny Crest Youth Ranch, a residential treatment facility in Sunfield, Michigan serving adolescent boys who were wards of the state due to abuse and neglect. Starting as an administrative assistant and advancing to case management, she worked alongside therapists to advocate for residents' needs before courts, state agencies, and families, an experience she credits with shaping her lasting interest in attachment theory and the possibility of healing early attachment loss.

Parks joined GLCC as an adjunct instructor in 2021 and was later asked to lead the
psychology/counseling program full-time, a shift she has described as an unexpected but deeply fulfilling turn in her career. Since Spring 2023 she has overseen, advised, and taught the program's core coursework, preparing undergraduates for graduate study in clinical mental health counseling. This year, she completed the post-graduate clinical hours required for full licensure along with a 30-hour clinical supervision training through Advanced Counselor Training LLC, credentialing her to supervise limited license counselors in Michigan. She plans to begin a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision within the next academic year.

“Mahrley represents exactly what we hope for in a GLCC faculty member: someone formed by this College who has gone on to serve at a high level in her field and has chosen to bring that expertise back to train the next generation,” said Dr. Frank Weller, President of Great Lakes Christian College. “Her combination of clinical practice, licensure, and genuine love for students makes her exactly the right person to lead this program forward.”

“It brings so much joy and gratification to my life getting to watch students fall in love with the psychology and counseling world,” Parks said. “My pedagogical philosophy is to empower students to learn and grow in their abilities to be authentic and vulnerable in the classroom, their relationships, and ultimately in the counseling role. My role as a professor is to come alongside them, encourage their personal and professional development, and provide experiences that allow them to begin mastering counseling and psychological skills.”

"I could not be more supportive of Mahrley in this role," Weller added. "She has already shown what she can do for our students, and I am genuinely excited about where she will take this program from here. Our psychology and counseling students are in excellent hands, and I believe the best days for this department are still ahead of us."

Parks was born and raised in Lake Odessa, Michigan, where she lives today with her young daughter, Joelle.

Great things are happening on campus! We worked out a great deal to purchase a new gym floor from a college that is closing. Once it's down it will get a new paint job to reflect GLCC's branding.

GLCC desires to encourage and resource churches as they do Kingdom work and our annual BOOST Ministers' Retreat once again was a great experience! Ministers representing churches in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio gathered together to be trained by Dr. Gary Johnson, Executive Director of e2 elders, to be encouraged by GLCC staff members Dr. John Nugent and Greg Stauffer, and to learn from each other. We even fit in an outing to the theater and some healthy trivia competition!

Many thanks to Jamie Wetzel, Dr Weller and their team at Great Lakes Christian College (Lansing MI)! They hosted BOOST, their annual minister’s summer retreat and it was a privilege to be invited to be a part of the gathering. Ministers from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio spent a great Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday together for a time of rest and renewal. Thanks be to God for the great work GLCC is doing in the upper Midwest and we are grateful to the GLCC team for each time e2 is invited to be on campus.

Grab a friend or three and join us at the 33rd Annual Crusaders Golf Classic! This one-day golf experience will connect you with the Great Lakes Christian College mission and our Athletic Department. We will be featuring the Athletic Department staff, players and coaches. All proceeds will be invested in the development of our student athletes.
Information and registration: www.glcc.edu/event/crusaders-golf-classic/

Today we said best wishes and happy retirements to two incredible servants of God and loyal employees of Great Lakes Christian College. Becky Anderson and Cindy St. Louis have served faithfully for a combined 58 years! They have been steadfast workers through many seasons at GLCC. Join us in congratulations and prayers of blessings for Becky and Cindy as they move on to their next adventures!