1971 – Delegate from Tara High School
Currently – Associate Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Rehabilitation Services Program, East Carolina University
Martha Chapin came to the very first Louisiana Youth Seminar in 1971! She was named Most Outstanding Delegate, one of the highest honors awarded at LYS. Martha served as a Counselor in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. She is a member of the 5 year club. She has continued to keep in touch with LYS and has come back to LYS on many occasions, regardless of where she was living in the U.S.
Martha Chapin received her undergraduate degree in Psychology in 1976 from the University of Arkansas. She received her Masters in Counseling from Michigan State University in 1978 and her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling from the same university in 1997. Dr. Chapin is a Licensed Professional Counselor, having received her license from both Michigan and North Carolina. She holds many professional memberships, including the American Counseling Association and the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association. Dr. Chapin has published extensively in her field of expertise, both in journals and in book chapters. She is currently on the faculty of East Carolina University, after having served in private practice for many years. Martha Chapin has received many awards and honors in her professional career. In 2001, she received the Award for Outstanding Advising. In 2006, she was awarded the Dean's Award for Outstanding Performance in Teaching.
Martha lives in Greenville, North Carolina. Her daughter Melissa attended the Louisiana Youth Seminar for two years, traveling to LYS from North Carolina and bringing additional delegates from her high school in her second year. Melissa is a graduate of New York University.
Martha still has a strong attachment to her home state of Louisiana. When asked about LYS, Dr. Chapin states: "LYS taught me the value of teaching others so that the people you teach can make a difference in other people's lives. LYS also taught me to value diversity. We are all more alike than different."