Get to Know HFC: Amy Ducklow meets students where they are
After being a part-time employee at HFC for 27 years, counselor Amy Ducklow will become a full-time employee in the Fall 2022 semester.
“I'm very excited about working full-time in the Counseling Department,” she said. “I've been part of the counseling family since 2000 and part of the HFC family since 1995, so it will be a natural transition. It's home.”
Ducklow will continue reporting to Associate Dean of Counseling Dr. Ibrahim Atallah. She had good reasons for working part-time for so long.
“I wanted to be home with my kids as they grew up,” she said. “When I was ready for a full-time position, there wasn't an opening at HFC. Now the opportunity came up, and I was ready when I interviewed for the counseling position.”
A highly effective student advocate
Fellow counselor Imad Nouri is excited that Ducklow has joined the team full-time.
“Amy is highly effective, conscientious, a student advocate, and a team player,” he said. “I am happy that she has finally joined the division full-time, and I wish her a thriving and fulfilling journey at HFC.”
Atallah agreed with Nouri.
“We are excited to have Amy as a full-time time counselor,” he said. “Before her full-time appointment, Amy has been employed as an adjunct counselor at HFC for 20-plus years. Amy is well-respected, has a good rapport with students, is a hard worker, and is extremely dedicated to seeing students succeed at HFC and in life after HFC. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Amy has the capability and knowledge to guide students through difficult times and on to success.”
Working in a counseling office influenced her career path
Born in Dowagiac, Ducklow is the second of three children. She currently resides in Novi with her husband of 26 years, Corey, an engineer at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. They have two children: Nathan, a police officer, and Hailey, an incoming senior at Grand Valley State University. They also have a yellow lab named Jake.
After graduating from Dowagiac Union High School, Ducklow attended Southwestern Michigan College, where she earned her associate degree in liberal arts. Transferring to Western Michigan University, she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in communications. She later earned her master’s degree in counseling from Oakland University. Ducklow has completed crisis counseling training at Common Ground Crisis Center in Pontiac. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor through the State of Michigan.
“I had the pleasure of being a student worker in the counseling office at SMC when I attended there. I loved working in that office and with the counselors. I received the help I needed to be a successful student. I loved seeing other students receive help also. It was a vibrant office that had a positive impact on students,” recalled Ducklow.
Enjoys seeing students succeed
Prior to coming to HFC, Ducklow worked at the Academy of Court Reporting in Southfield, where she was an academic advisor. While she worked part-time at HFC, she did mental health counseling at various clinics in the Metro Detroit area for several years.
When she first came to HFC (then called Henry Ford Community College) in 1995, Ducklow was an enrollment associate. She became an instructor in 2010. For 10 years, she taught COLL 101: College Success.
“I’m sure I’ll be teaching it again,” she said. “What attracted me to the College in the first place was the opportunity to work with college students and assist them in creating goals for their future careers.”
She admitted she’s always amazed when she meets a student who had no idea where the counseling office was, or was completely unaware of all the services for students.
“I look forward to collaborating with my team and with departments on campus to be more visible and available to our students,” she said. “That’s one of the challenges on this job. Another is assisting students with overwhelming life obstacles and trying to help them have hope and persevere with the challenges they face.”
The best part of her job is counseling students, helping them reach their academic and career goals. She loves collaborating with the counseling team to better serve HFC students.
“I have the best job,” she said. “I love working with students individually. Hearing their stories, meeting them where they are, and assisting them toward their academic and career goals. I have attended some of my students' graduations. That is my greatest job satisfaction: Seeing my students succeed.”
