Noah Samples came to UNC after working as an EMT and is now a second-year student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program within the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) division. Set to graduate this May, his path to counseling wasn’t straightforward. While working as an EMT, he knew he wanted to help others but wasn’t sure how to turn that desire into a career.
Samples attended North Carolina State University as an undergrad, majoring in biology on the pre-physician assistant track. While he wasn’t sure what path he would ultimately pursue after graduation, he knew he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. His clinical hours as an EMT gave him a firsthand look at that impact, exposing him to situations where simply being present made a real difference.
At the same time, Samples worked as a medical assistant at a doctor’s office. The long hours and constant demands left him drained, and one evening, his girlfriend asked a question that changed everything: Was this really what he wanted to do? For the first time, he stopped and thought about it, and realized it wasn’t.
That night, they made a list of careers where he could still help people. PT, OT, MD, and finally, counseling. This is when it clicked. Samples had been to therapy as a teenager, after a breakup and again when his father passed away. Those experiences had shaped him, showing him the difference a supportive counselor could make. During his time as an EMT, he saw countless people in mental health crises, moments he was not trained to handle. Suddenly, he realized he could be that support for someone else.
“But here in the therapeutic context, they get to the time to sit down and explain what they’ve been through. And I think there’s something beautiful about that.”
-Noah Samples
Samples began exploring programs in North Carolina, applying to schools including ECU, UNC, and NC Central. UNC stood out, not just for its ranking but for the culture behind it. He reached out to alumni, who shared stories of professors who cared deeply and how easily graduates found meaningful work. When he visited the UNC campus and spoke with students and faculty, it felt like home.
Now, Samples is finishing his counseling internship, gaining experience with clients ranging from children to adults and from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia. Originally, he expected to work primarily with children, however, his experience with young adults (ages 16 to 30) has shown him the profound impact counseling can have during these formative years. Looking ahead, he is drawn to outpatient private practice rather than inpatient hospital work, where acute cases can be overwhelming. With his coursework complete, licensure exam passed, and defense behind him, Samples is ready to graduate in May, eager to see where his path will take him next.
For Samples, the heart of counseling isn’t in techniques or theories—it’s in human connection. Reflecting on the advice he would give to someone entering the field, he emphasizes immersing yourself in opportunities to connect with others. “That’s 99% of what this job is,” he says. Research backs him up as the success of therapy comes down to the relationship between client and counselor, not the specific approach or modality. Samples draws from his own experiences in EMT work and even waiting tables on weekends, where listening and showing genuine curiosity often meant more than any formal training. He recalls elderly patients sharing their loneliness and grief, and clients opening up about past struggles, moments that were therapeutic simply because someone was there to hear them. For Samples, the most important skill is being able to connect with people, to care about them, and to approach them with genuine curiosity and positive regard. Counseling is about giving clients a space to tell their story, an opportunity many never have elsewhere, and finding beauty in that shared humanity is what makes the work so rewarding.