Keeping up with the Counselors

by Maleyna Fields

Counselors may be seen helping students, but that isn’t all what they do at Liberty North.

“I was interested in working with students, and I have a passion for mentoring. I felt it would be a good context where I could connect with kids but do more than simply counsel students. In the schools, I can be more a part of the educational process,” counselor Josh Ehrhard said.

Emily Schmitt says she became a counselor because she really cares about students and wants to help them when things in their lives are hard.

design by Alexis Helms

“When enrollment season slows we spend more time on individual student appointments which range from social or emotional issues to individual planning,” Schmitt said. Some counselors have done other jobs before becoming counselors.

“I started as a Spanish teacher and I was more concerned with what was going on with the kids than if they could conjugate verbs so I knew I needed to be a school counselor,” Schmitt said.

“I am able to play a part in planning their future goals, gain maturity and higher level thinking and send them off as productive citizens,” counselor Jill Brock said.

On a daily basis counselors may be working with enrollment, class advisement, and planning for college.

“There is always something happening and keeps us all on our toes. We help students with graduation plan progress and credits, homework and grades, personal situations, career planning, college and scholarship applications, parent communication, emergency and crisis solutions and so much more. Highschool students are really awesome,” Brock said.