The Parkland College Leadership Award for Outstanding Full-Time Faculty is presented each year to a faculty member who has been with the college for a minimum of five years and has demonstrated excellence in teaching, drove innovation in their program, served on committees, and provided leadership.
2025 Leadership Award for Outstanding Full-Time Faculty
Marya Burke
Marya Burke joined Parkland in 2019 as a Counselor in the Counseling Support Center. Marya states her role as a counselor, “It is my task to create an empowering, non-judgmental space where clients can be vulnerable because they feel safe. In that vulnerability, they can tell their stories.” She strives to help her clients see that they are not alone, are believed, deserve loving care, and have personal agency and power. In turn, students share with her what they have learned through those interactions and how it has impacted their lives in positive ways.
Marya also supports students beyond her one-on-one counseling interactions. She has led sessions on depression, anxiety, culturally informed practice, ADHD, relationships and boundaries, stress management, and substance use. She also developed a workshop on Culturally Informed Mental Health Practices, in which she shared insights into the historical barriers and challenges faced by people of color in our society with respect to mental health. Additionally, she has helped to provide alternatives to traditional therapy to students, including a Rhythm is Life: Movement and Music group and an online “Relaxation Room.”
Marya has also collaborated with her colleagues at Parkland College by serving on Parkland’s IDEAS committee and participating in events sponsored by the Community Engagement Advisory Council. She has been an active part of the Diversity Committee since joining Parkland and became co-chair of the committee two years ago and participates in the President’s Advisory Council on Accessibility Inclusion and Diversity. She engages with students, faculty, and staff in her role as a member and co-chair of the Parkland College Black History Month Planning Committee. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
Marya’s service and leadership have had an important impact on Parkland College and the lives of many students.