For Chaley Brunetti Rosenthal, helping children grow, learn and heal has never been just a career — it’s been a calling.
The Delta State University alumna was recently named to the university’s 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame, an honor recognizing graduates who have achieved professional distinction and made significant contributions to their communities.
A 2010 graduate of Delta State, Rosenthal earned her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences with a minor in special education. She said her time on campus helped shape both her confidence and her career direction, providing opportunities to grow personally and professionally through programs and people who believed in her potential.
As a student, Rosenthal was active in Kappa Delta Sorority and the Family and Consumer Sciences student organization. Among her most meaningful experiences was her internship at the Hamilton White Child Development Center, where she worked with children from infancy to age four. The hands-on learning experience deepened her passion for child development and early education, confirming her desire to dedicate her life to helping children thrive.
After graduation, she spent time working as a family nanny while researching graduate programs in counseling. Eventually, she found her fit at the University of Mississippi, where she enrolled in the Counselor Education master’s program and later earned an education specialist degree in play therapy. While completing her graduate studies, Rosenthal helped develop and operate the Child Advocacy and Play Therapy Institute on campus — an experience that allowed her to train and practice supervised play therapy skills almost daily for two years.
Her professional career began as a school-based counselor with Life Help Mental Health Center, serving students at Nailor and Cleveland Central schools in Cleveland. After completing her clinical hours and earning state licensure, Rosenthal became a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor and registered play therapist. She eventually returned to Delta State, serving as counseling lab director, conference coordinator and adjunct professor in the Counselor Education program — roles she balanced with running a private practice in the evenings. She credits her time back at DSU as some of the most meaningful of her career, providing deep professional growth and lasting relationships.
Today, Rosenthal provides counseling services at Delta Primary Care in Indianola, continuing her mission to support children and families through play therapy and mental health advocacy. She said she remains deeply grateful for the foundation her university experience provided, from the encouragement of her professors to the close-knit campus community that shaped her early years.
The Delta State Alumni Hall of Fame honors graduates for distinguished professional accomplishments and community service. Rosenthal joins four other members in the 2026 class — a recognition, she said, that reflects not only her own journey but also the university’s lasting impact on her life.
