Catching Up
ROSEMARIE FABRIZIO FORMER GILMOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
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t’s not every day that we catch up with a guidance counselor in this space. In fact, Rosemarie Fabrizio is the first. When she started as a counselor at Gilmour in 1984, she had never worked as a counselor, even with a master’s in guidance and counseling from John Carroll University. Here, she talks about being welcomed into the fold at Gilmour, finding her calling and what she’s been up to in the years since. What was it like for you starting at Gilmour? I was very blessed to work with the three most kind and caring individuals: Father John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58, Brother Robert Kelly, C.S.C. and Brother James Maroney, C.S.C. Each of them mentored me and helped me acclimate. There also was a group of welcoming teachers when I came on board. It was my first counseling experience. I was able to venture into college counseling, and that became very important to me. Why is that? College counseling is where I found my niche. When I went through training, there was very little taught about college counseling. The focus was on general counseling. College counseling focuses on helping students find a college that fits with their goals. I learned that I really liked it, and that I was good at it. What makes for a good college counselor? The fact that you accept every student as they are and interact with them in an understanding way. A college counselor is part of an important decision-making process for students and their families, and they should tailor the college search to each student’s goals. I always sought to match them with a college experience that best suited them, one that would allow them to grow. My philosophy was always that there are different schools for different students at different points in their lives.
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