6 minute read
Kindness
Counselor’s Notebook MASCA
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION Vol. 58, No. 5 January 2022
By Bob Bardwell, MASCA Executive Director
It’s January once again. This is usually a time when many of us make New Year’s resolutions and find ways to make our lives better. Depending on when you read this, some of you may already have broken a resolution or two. It is estimated that at least 80% of folks fail to follow through on their resolutions and usually give up in under two weeks into the new year. For some of us, the ability to set goals for a better life is a wonderful idea but not very realistic. On December 12, MASCA launched a Kindness and Compassion Giveaway promotion. The purpose was to lift up and celebrate our school counseling colleagues who were struggling with work and/or personal challenges. Thanks to the Coronavirus, these past few years have been some of the most difficult,
if not the worst years in our lives for many of us. When we launched the idea, we knew that there would be many who would be nominated, but we were not sure just how many. In the course of the ten days when nominations were open, MASCA received 205 nominations representing 172 different individuals. We didn’t care if they were members or not, but were only interested in hearing why the nominator felt the nominee was deserving of a pick-me-up. The only requirement was that the nominee had to be employed in a Massachusetts school in a counseling related position. We also welcomed self-nominations, because who better to know if someone was suffering than the individual themselves? Some had one nomination while one nominee had seven.
We heard about many tragic losses of family members due to illness but also some due to Covid. We heard about personal sacrifice and loss. We learned about the strength and dedication of many of our members and the extra effort that folks have given during these last few years. We heard from some of our newest members struggling with typical first year challenges exacerbated by the pandemic but also from veterans not ever having been so disrupted in their careers. Many of the stories would make you want to stop and appreciate what you have and realize just how well off you might be compared to others.
Initially the plan was to only have one recipient, but due to the overwhelming response and inability to select only one, the decision was made to offer additional gifts as well. Five members were asked to review the nominations and rank the top ten to be recognized. This was no easy feat. One member remarked, “It was VERY difficult, to say the least. I spent about three hours reading and re-reading and then pulling multiple recommendations alongside each other. My goodness, we have some incredible individuals working with our students, don’t we???”
Yes, we do. All 172 nominees received an email letting them know that they were nominated but not by whom.
I am pleased to introduce you to Sanyalee DeJesus, school counselor at the Springfield Renaissance School. Sanyalee received two nominations, one from a current colleague and one from a former colleague. Here is what one of her nominators had to say: The reason for nominating and why Sanyalee DeJesus is so deserving of this gift is because over the last year she has been dealing with so much and in the end making others feel good about themselves even though she has been silently suffering in pain. Back in September of 2020, Sanyalee came in close contact with a family member who was unaware they had COVID, and Sanyalee would learn that she tested positive for COVID and became very sickly. During her COVID stent she would continue to be dedicated to her counseling work when she got bout of energy.
Not only was Sanyalee suffering from COVID, but at the same time going through some very personal medical issues which would lead to her needing surgery all while dealing with her mother who was very sickly and hospitalized.
With all of this in mind, Sanyalee was the glue holding her family to-
gether while dealing with a stressful work environment, her own medical conditions, and a sick parent who she could not visit in the hospital due to COVID Hospital Visitation Guidelines.
In March 2021, Sanyalee lost her best friend, her mother. If anyone has a strong bond with their mother, you can only imagine the emptiness and heartbreak Sanyalee is dealing with. She was fortunate enough to be able to spend a few hours with her mother before her passing, but due to the visitation policies she was not able to be by her side at much as she wanted to be.
After Sanyalee lost her mother, a few months later Sanyalee would need to take care of her own personal medical needs and undergo surgery. She battled through her medical procedure and stayed strong for her and her family, all without leaving work unnoticed. Once Sanyalee was healed she was back at it working summer school supporting the English Language Learners and trying to get them to the finish line for summer graduation.
We are also happy to announce five additional recipients of this giveaway • Bryan Christie, Lead Counselor, Arlington Public Schools • Kristen O’Brien, School Counselor, Douglas High School • Janet Sozio, School Counselor, Wellesley, High School • Tiffany Vega, School Counselor, Shrewsbury High School • Mary Jane Walker, School Counselor, Needham High School Truth be told, everyone one of the 172 colleagues are winners and we wish that everyone one of them could have been recognized in some way. It seems that a congratulatory email just doesn’t seem to be enough, but we hope that little bit of recognition and support will go a long way to help our colleagues through these difficult times.
I would hope that it would not be necessary to run such a promotion, but truth be told, regardless of the latest Covid rates, there are always going to be colleagues who are challenged and struggling with life events. Whether you were one of the 172 nominees or not, know that the school counseling community has your back and is here to support you.
I hope that 2022 is filled with fun, relaxation and strength to persevere through all of the challenges that life throws to you. And, if you did make any resolutions, that you make it through the first two weeks stronger than ever.
