Hunter Named Percy Hughes Award Recipient

Cheré Hunter ‘21G has been named the 2025 recipient of the Percy Hughes Award. 

Hunter, a professor of practice in the Counseling Psychology program within the Lehigh College of Education, serves as the director of the Community Voices Clinic, a school-based mental health clinic operating within the family centers at Donegan Elementary and Broughal Middle schools. The CVC embraces core principles of evidence-based practice, multicultural competence and social justice in all of its activities. As a counseling psychologist leading the CVC, Hunter specializes in trauma-informed care practices, crisis and risk management, and supporting students and families from diverse backgrounds.

An alumna of the COE’s Counseling Psychology program, Hunter has served as the director of CVC since 2022. Her nominators noted Hunter’s dedication to public service and giving back to the community through her work at the clinic. She has gone above and beyond her responsibilities as clinic director to strengthen “critical mental health supports for low-income children and youth who either have no insurance or are underinsured and who would otherwise not be able to obtain needed mental health services.” 

Hunter’s persistence and dedication have increased the accessibility and quality of mental health services provided to the CVC’s high-risk population. Her efforts to offer services in Spanish reflect the award’s criteria that the recipient’s work extends to various communities beyond Lehigh. 

A quote by Coretta Scott King is among Hunter’s favorites and reflects her philosophy: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” For Hunter, South Bethlehem is a great community because of the people who live there. 

“The children and families I work with show how strong, resilient and compassionate the residents of South Bethlehem are and it’s an honor to be able to serve them,” she added.

The COE presents the Percy Hughes Award for Scholarship, Humanity and Social Change to honor a Lehigh community member who works toward implementing transformative ideas in the local, national and world communities. Since the award's inception in 2010, 10 individuals have been recognized for their work addressing the world's most pressing challenges. 

“Hunter clearly has made a difference in the community, and her efforts reflect Lehigh’s strategy to strengthen and grow community engagement,” COE Acting Dean Robin Hojnoski said.

To learn more about the Percy Hughes Award, visit https://ed.lehigh.edu/student-resources.