Theresa L. Arita of Auburn, a graduate student at the University of Southern Maine, was a runner-up in the American Counseling Association national contest and will receive a one-year membership in the association.

Arita plans to graduate from the University of Southern Maine in spring 2008 after her school counseling internship. She wants to counsel adolescents in schools and community agencies. The subject she chose to address in her essay was “How Could the Counseling Profession Do More to Reach Those Most in Need of Services?”