Every principal and grade level teacher will tell you that school counselors are vital to an education system’s success and the success – both present and future – of the students the school serves.
“Our counselors play an important role in the school,” White County High School principal Greg Wilson said. “We could not function as a school without our counselors. Our day-to-day operations cannot happen without our counselors.”
Wilson went on to say the duties of a school counselor are complex, with counselors wearing several hats throughout the day and filling a variety of needs for students and faculty alike.
“They not only advise students during emotional situations, they guide them during their four years of high school,” Wilson said and then indicated that building a relationship with students is a critical part of a counselor’s job as they attempt to meet the individual needs of their students. “Each student has a counselor who guides their social emotional learning and academic progress through all four years of high school.”
White County High School has five counselors to help guide their student body and provide a trusted voice and a listening ear as well as advice for both current issues as well as their futures.
Stephanie Naaktgeboren, who has been a school counselor for nine years, said her job, as well as that of the other counselors at White County High School, as well as those at the middle and elementary schools, is to be advocates for their students.
“Our job entails helping students with academic development, career/college development, and social/emotional development,” Naaktgeboren said, adding that each day is different with some days working on graduation checklists or preparing for college applications while at other times a student needs a listening ear or some hard advice. “I love this job because I get to show unconditional acceptance to students, help them work through present concerns, and help them plan for their futures. I am so thankful to be surrounded by a team of counselors who show up every day ready to be a positive influence in a young person’s life.
“After talking with many students over the years, I’ve learned that teenagers, even teenagers with the weight of the world on their shoulders, have the chance at success and growth with two important things: a caring adult and purpose. Having at least one caring adult (a parent, grandparent, youth leader, teacher, etc.) who checks on them, encourages them, builds them up, can be a just what they need to stay positive. Teenagers can also learn to thrive when they are working toward a specific purpose or goal. Maybe they are trying to get scholarships for college, maybe they are trying to be the first in their family to graduate high school, maybe they want to earn their diploma so they can be independent. Whatever their purpose, having a goal helps them to keep moving forward.
“It is my experience that teenagers still deal with many of the same concerns that I and others had growing up. We all want to be seen and noticed, and we all want to be loved for who we are. Smart phones and social media may have changed the process and their perspective, but ultimately, they are just trying to find out who they are as people.”
Alex Poston, who is in her seventh year of counseling and her sixth year at White County High School, said she has had the opportunity to learn from many of the counselors across the county’s various schools and learn to focus on all three domains of her job: college/career preparation, social/emotional needs, and academic learning.
“Each day brings something different. We make sure students are on track for graduation and meeting all requirements set forth by the state. We help students who might be having a bad day or when they just need someone to talk to. We check their grades and give encouragement. We try to be a resource for students, whatever their need may be,” Poston said, adding that her work often extends outside of the walls of the high school. “Sometimes we are able to connect them with resources in the community.
“High school students are funny. They make me laugh. There are students who just want a friend. They just need someone to talk to - someone they can trust. I chose school counseling because I wanted to be able to help students. Whether a student is having a bad day or we’re figuring out what career a student wants to pursue, it’s so nice to see students overcome obstacles and attain goals.
“Students like to know they have support, and they like to be recognized for their achievements. Sometimes, even just knowing their name can bring a smile to their face.”
Robert Officer has a unique view for some of the students he sees daily. Having spent the first 18 years of his 20-year career at White County Middle School, he is now seeing some of those same students again and watching them grow and mature and see the benefits of what they learned and experienced in their first years with him.
“I am very happy working with our WCHS students, especially seeing how they have grown and matured,” Officer said about his now-older students. “The middle school years are often full of growing pains as they try to figure out the changes in their own body and mind. It is really nice to see the same kids becoming an adult and deciding on careers and really starting to figure things out.
“Counseling means so much more than it did when I was in school. We didn’t have the challenges of social media, but we also didn’t have the advanced opportunities with Dual Enrollment Credit with Motlow or Livingston TCAT. I think that a lot of people would be amazed at what is available to our students.
“I enjoy being able to be seen as someone who they see as there to help them. My biggest fear or concern is missing something that might adversely affect a student. I hope that our students one day look back on their educational experience and have a good feeling about what happened while under our care.”
Erin Replogle also has experienced getting to see her students again as she spent the first five of her 12 years career as a counselor at BonDeCroft and Cassville elementary schools before moving to the high school and getting to help those same students again several years later.
“I chose to go into the field of school counseling because of the desire to help and build relationships,” Replogle said. “The position of school counselor is unique in that you are able to build rapport with students and teachers/staff.
“As a school counselor, I am responsible for assisting students with academic advisement, college and career readiness, and social/emotional support. Each day can look a bit different, so our daily duties fluctuate to meet the needs of our students. As a school, we see our fair share of obstacles faced by students and work hard to help students/families overcome those challenges through referrals and resources.
“One of my favorite parts of my job as a school counselor is helping to empower students to face adversity and grow from their experiences.”
National School Counseling Week is being celebrated Feb. 7-11 and focuses on highlighting the tremendous impact that school counselors can have in helping students achieve success, not only during their academic years but into their adulthood as well.
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