Get to Know HFC: Mary Kosmalski’s journey from legal counselor to college counselor

HFC Counselor Mary Kosmalski is truly a lifelong learner.

For just a bit of evidence, she has two master’s degrees. She has a law degree and a lengthy legal career in her background. She speaks Russian and Croatian. She also studied overseas twice.

“I always enjoyed being a student,” said Kosmalski, of Grosse Pointe Park. The ethic runs in the family, too. She is married to Jeff Woolstrum, a senior partner at Honigman LLP, one of Detroit’s oldest law firms. They have a son, Jeffrey, who recently earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan.

“Crime and Punishment“ leads to interest in Russian literature

One of six children, Kosmalski is an alumna of Bishop Foley High School in Madison Heights. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science and Russian from Central Michigan University. As part of her undergraduate program, she studied Russian at the University of Leningrad in Russia.

“In high school, I read (1866’s) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which led me into a deep dive into Russian literature, which led me to my undergraduate major,” said Kosmalski.

She earned her master's degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from U-M. During her graduate studies program, she lived for two years in Yugoslavia and the Croatian Republic while researching her thesis. Kosmalski later earned her juris doctor from Wayne State University, graduating with honors. While in law school, she was assistant editor of the Law Review. She earned her master's degree in community counseling from Wayne State. And she is a licensed professional counselor through the State of Michigan.

From Soviet studies to a legal career

“After I completed my master’s at U-M, I got a job working at a Detroit law firm as a legal assistant. I conducted legal research on a wide range of environmental issues and wrote memoranda explaining my findings. I discovered that I enjoyed the complexity and nuance of the law and I enjoyed writing about it. This experience led me to change directions from a plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Soviet Studies to attend law school,” she explained.

Kosmalski practiced law for more than 20 years. She worked at Bodman PLC, a Detroit-based law firm, in its environmental law department. After several years, she accepted a position with small law firm McAlpine Attorneys & Counselors in Auburn Hills, where she practiced environmental law and construction law and litigation.

“After seven years with McAlpine, I was enjoying the stress of litigation less and less,” said Kosmalski. “I accepted a position as a judicial attorney at Wayne County Circuit Court, where I researched legal issues before the court and wrote memoranda advising the judge on possible rulings. After six years there, I decided it was time to move on from the law.”

A second master’s degree and a 600-hour internship at HFC

Kosmalski decided to become a counselor. She was particularly intrigued by the idea of counseling college students.

“I pursued a counseling degree because I initially though I would work in the juvenile justice field. I might still do that at some point,” said Kosmalski. “My internship led me to HFC, which gave me the chance to work with college students. I found that I was able to assist college students who were uncertain about their course of study and their career path. I did have a lot of experience with a college education!”

Kosmalski says she was interested in working with college students who need help in navigating personal, academic, and career issues as they pursue their degrees. "As part of my 60-hour master’s degree program, I had to complete a 600-hour internship, which I did at HFC under the direction of Dr. Ibrahim Atallah,” she says.

After completing her internship in 2017, Kosmalski was offered a position as a counselor at HFC. She has worked at HFC since 2018, where she also teaches Introduction to Social Work.

“One of the best things about working at HFC is the various opportunities that I have had, including teaching social work classes,” said Kosmalski. “Each semester I have two sections of the course and more than 50 students. I believe I have developed an engaging and challenging class.”

Mentor of mentors

HFC Counselor Imad Nouri stated Kosmalski is a valuable asset to the College.

“Mary brings a wealth of knowledge and an amazing energy in helping our students as a counselor, mentor, and instructor,” said Nouri. “She is also a great addition to the social work program. I enjoy our conversations and I learn so much from Mary, especially when it comes to law and history. Besides that, she has great taste in music.”

Kosmalski is also the director of HFC’s Inside Track Mentoring Program. This program is a student-mentoring program that pairs current HFC students (mentors) with new HFC students (mentees). The goal of the program is to provide support and guidance to students as they transition to college life. Inside Track is both a student support program and a social club.

“Before the pandemic brought the mentoring program to a halt, I had eight mentors and more than 200 mentees,” she said. “I developed a comprehensive training program for the mentors that covered a range of topics, including diversity and inclusion issues, effective mentoring skills, and an in-depth knowledge of the resources available to HFC students. I enjoy working with college students, and I think I am able to offer them guidance and insight based on the amount of time that I spent as a student!”