I Love My Job

Today wrapped up the final day of National School Counselors Week.  It is interesting - here it is - a week when people across the country pause to recognize and celebrate the profession of school counseling, but I can't help but think that I am the one who needs to be thankful and express my gratitude.

I have the best job!

The fact that you allow me to walk alongside you during your high school years is not something I take for granted.  That you trust me to share in your pain on difficult days and also allow me to celebrate with you when you achieve successes is my greatest honor.  It doesn't matter if we are talking about school, college, friends, dreams, fears or even about seemingly nothing at all - you brighten my day and help me feel like I have a purpose.

It was interesting, yesterday, a gentleman was waiting in the hall outside of my office to talk to Mr. Nally and he asked me if Mrs. Beyer still worked at Kilbourne.  (Mrs. Beyer is a counselor who retired 7 years ago.)  After learning she had retired, he talked about the impact she had on him explaining that she changed his life by believing in him, helping him straighten his life back out when he had started down a path of making poor choices and that he was grateful.  He had graduated from Kilbourne in 1997 - that is before some of you were even born!  And yet, all this time later, he still remembered her.  Wow!  

I don't know if it's realistic to think that all of you will still remember much of the details of high school 18 years after you graduate, but if you do remember high school and think of me, I hope you will always know that I care about you, I believe in you and I am thankful to have had the honor of knowing you and being a part of your lives!

My greatest desire in life is to make a difference.  And, for the record, to me, making a difference isn't necessarily a big, grand impact - it is the small details, the connections shared, and the impact that we can hopefully have on one another.  I know without a doubt that you make a difference in my life.

Being your school counselor is the greatest job and I just wanted to make sure you knew as my own way of celebrating National School Counselors Week.  :-)  Have a great weekend!