The Counselor's Notebook

The Children are our Future

By Jessica Descartes, MASCA 2024 -2025 Board Chair and Director of Student Services, Tech Boston Academy, with co-author Shaulita Francis, TechBoston Academy Class of 2014

Whether you are familiar with George Benson’s version or Whitney Houston’s, both of these striking voices once sang…”I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way…show them all the beauty they possess inside”. (Greatest Love of All, written by Michael Masser & Linda Creed). As we head into October, it is important to remember this: the students who we are serving are our future and the next generation. In our current roles, we are shaping the world that they will inherit and we need to ensure that we are investing in their well-being, education, and development. I think about this often, but it truly resonated when I needed a hair appointment.

When my loctician left her salon for her maternity leave and it was time to find a new stylist, I was hesitant and reluctant. I had been very loyal to her

and the thought of having someone new maintaining my locs was not something I was ready for. However, after perusing the social medias for recommendations, I found Shaulita. Shaulita was a former student of mine, a member of TechBoston Academy’s Class of 2014, who had just left a full-time role in marketing to pursue her dream of becoming a licensed hair stylist. I did not know where she was in her styling journey or how much experience she had. However, I remembered how dedicated she was as a student. I scheduled an appointment with her and when the time came, it truly made me understand why we do this work. Our appointment consisted of laughter, catching up, finding old photos, and much reflection. I really wanted to know if Shaulita felt that she was supported during her time at TBA and she was happy to share her experiences:

Q1: How did you get to where you are now?

Shaulita’s response: “Through community. Every step of the way I have had a community of people invested in me and my holistic well being. My success is the result of every prayer, word of advice and connection I have had in my life. It’s truly a privilege to have people who see me and see value. In this particular season, when I decided to leave my full time job in marketing to further my education in haircare, it was my church’s prayers, my friends’ advice and my community’s financial support that made it possible. It’s simply a blessing that I only wish to give to others as well.”

Q2: How did your school and school counselor support you, before, during, after?

Shaulita’s response: “I had teachers who believed in me and pushed me to dream! One of my favorite teachers put it like this “ Dream big and let God work out the details”. Going to public school and growing up in an urban neighborhood, dreaming big can sometimes feel daunting and at times, it doesn’t even feel like an option due to our world of exposure. The teachers and counselors I had in high school pushed me to look past my frame of reference and encouraged me to pursue what I was interested in. Though my interests have shifted since my senior year of high school, I will never let go of “Dream big and let God work out the details”.

Q3: Who would have thought that you would be styling the educators who supported you?! What does this mean to you?

Shaulita’s response: “I think it’s beautiful to be on the other side of things. When I was in high school, you were the one pouring into me and my friends, making sure we completed our school work and were on track to graduate. Now it’s an honor to be the one pouring into your cup and serving as your hairstylist.”

Q4: What advice do you have for educators supporting students today?

Shaulita’s response: “Listen to your students, especially the quiet ones that tend to go unnoticed. Encourage them to try new things, things outside their comfort zone and to dream big.”

Overall, Shaulita emphasized the need for us to pour into our students. This is so important because it fosters growth, potential and confidence in our young people. When we are intentional about investing our time and energy in their learning, we can inspire them to reach for their stars.

Students who are learning in supportive and nurturing environments are more likely to be even more engaged in their learning; thus, not afraid to reach for their stars. Finally, it does not end with graduation. We should continue to follow our students, support their visions and understand that they are now the exemplars for our future generations. This is the reality: Our students are our future stylists, our future doctors, our future musicians, our future school counselors, our future insert more here…let us come together to create environments where they will thrive and be successful.