Current Job Title: School Counselor

Current School: Pine Hill Elementary School (Dover, MA)

Where did you complete your practicum? What did that experience look like?

I completed my full-practicum as a School Counseling Intern at the Michael Driscoll School in Brookline, MA. It was my second year interning with their guidance department.

Driscoll is a public elementary and middle school made up of students in grades K-8, and recently expanded to include early education. Although I served students in all grades, my caseload primarily focused on supporting K-2 students. As a member of the Child Study Team, I would conduct intensive reviews, create treatment plans, and analyze student data for those experiencing severe social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges.

What do you see as the most rewarding aspect of your current position? What has been a challenge in your current position?

The most rewarding aspect of my current position is witnessing the remarkable improvements in the mental health of my students following collaboration with DCF, outpatient providers, community supports, and academic interventionists.

A challenge I'm currently facing in this role is the tension and frustration that comes with the slow therapeutic progress. Most days, I wish my work could reach a greater number of families; but I acknowledge that my clinical impact will grow with time.

Current Job Title: School Counselor

Current School: Fuquay-Varina High School (Raleigh-Durham, NC)

How did the Lynch School prepare you for your current role?

I use what I learned at the Lynch School every single day. I think that one of the strengths of the program is that it's directly applicable to the work you will be doing. They very thoroughly prepared me. Sure, there are some things that you can only learn on the job, and that you’re going to learn with experience. But in terms of the academics and knowing where to go for help, I felt very prepared over my time in the program.

Tell us about your practicum experience.

I was at Natick High School. I can’t imagine doing the work I do now without having that practicum experience. I learned so much. Boston College actually requires its students to have more than the minimum requirement for licensure, so I just had so much practical experience.

I was meeting with students, sitting in on different types of meetings with students and families. I was able to run situations by my supervisor at my internship, and then bring the same situations to my professors and my fellow students in a classroom setting. That second year especially was a really intensive, hands-on learning experience of how to actually do the job. We got a lot of theory in year one, and in year two we were really focused on gaining experience.

Current Job Title: Counselor

Current School: F.A. Day Middle School (Newton, MA)

Where are you currently working? What does this position look like?

I am in my second year as a School Counselor at Day Middle School in Newton Public Schools, and it is my third year in the district. I started practicing at Bigelow Middle School and was hired to cover someone's maternity leave. Our school has 900 students, with two counselors per grade and two school psychologists. There is a lot of collaboration. We can learn from one another.

How did the Lynch School prepare you for your current position? What courses stood out to you?

The Lynch School program fully prepared me for my career. The professors were passionate and knowledgeable about their fields and had applicable and relevant experience in the field. The program was great. I’m very grateful for my experience and for the graduate assistantship that made it possible to earn my degree.

Practicum labs were great spaces for our cohort to bring in what’s happening in the real world. Through case consultation projects, we gained ideas for how we can support students. I love collaborative learning, and that’s what it's like. 

Current Job Title: School Counselor

Current School: Boston Arts Academy (Newton, MA)

Where are you currently working? What does this position look like?

I am working as a School Counselor at Boston Arts Academy (BAA). In this position I support students' overall well-being, academic success, and post-secondary plans. At BAA, the school counselors are expected to help every senior create a plan for after graduation. Other tasks include: all college board testing, transcript review, dual enrollment, college and career exploration and so much more.

What do you see as the most rewarding aspect of your current position? What has been a challenge in your current position?

The most rewarding part of my job is working with amazing students. It has been such a pleasure getting to know each of them and have the privilege to support and advocate for them through their time in high school. I specifically have enjoyed helping the seniors make their plans for after high school. Watching students get their acceptances and commit to college has been amazing, especially since most of the students are first generation college students. The biggest challenge is that BAA did not have school counselors before I started. The whole team and department is new, and it has been a challenge building the foundation and explaining the role of the counselor.

Current Job Title: Elementary School Counselor

Current School: Green Gables Elementary School (Puyallup, WA)

Where are you currently working? What does this position look like?

I am currently working at Green Gables Elementary School, a K-5 school in Washington state. It’s a pretty big district with 30 elementary schools, and I’m the only school counselor at Green Gables. We’re on the smaller side for an elementary school in the district with about 350 students, but we have professional learning communities (PLCs) that I’m in with four other elementary school counselors, so there is a place to meet and talk to others about the work. We also have departmental meetings once or twice a month.

How did the Lynch School prepare you for your current position? What courses stood out to you?

I really did feel like my program prepared me for what the on-the-ground work would look like.  All professors were very intentional about what public school systems look like and how we would fit into those schools to make positive change felt like a core principle of learning. A lot of classes were with LMHCs (licensed mental health counselors). 

Some classes that stood out to me include Multicultural Counseling, which is so relevant to my work today, and Career Counseling. Even though Career Counseling is a class I didn't think would translate to working in an elementary school, when I work with families, guardians, and adults in students’ lives, I remember the ethos of that class: the idea that everyone should do something that they love.

Current Job Title: College & Career Counselor, Counseling Dept.

Current School: Framingham High School (Framingham, MA)

Where are you currently working? What does this position look like?

I am currently working in the School Counseling Department at Framingham High School as their College & Career Counselor. I assist Framingham High School students with planning and tasks related to the postsecondary process, and am the Dual Enrollment and scholarship point person for the high school.

What do you see as the most rewarding aspect of your current position? What has been a challenge in your current position?

Far and away the most rewarding part of my position is getting students from point A to point B, when they don't think it is possible. Most students just need support and validation from a trusted adult in the building for them to believe they're able to achieve what we know they're able to achieve. I'm so grateful to have had success stories for so many first generation students getting to go to their dream college. Some are now applying to medical school, law school, or graduate school, and they've followed up with me years later.