What students do you cover? Will you help with any other student resources?
I cover students with the last names Sh-Z and I help students with a lot of different resources, whether it’s for college and careers, mental health, jobs, just basic lifestyle needs. We also partner with our family liaison, so if students need supplies, if they need help with housing or food or really just any need that a student might have then I will definitely help them with getting the resources for that.
Where did you go to college and what degree did you get?
I went to the University of New Hampshire for my undergrad and I was an English/Journalism major and a Spanish minor. Then I did my masters program for professional school counseling at Westminster College which is in Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
Why did you become a counselor?
When I was in my undergrad I didn’t think that I would go in that direction. I coach volleyball [and] I really just liked the whole aspect of helping students. Being a school counselor allows me to help students in a much bigger way than just being a coach. Being able to just be that extra support as a mentor, so that is probably the main reason that I went into school counseling.
Did you do anything before being a counselor at Dominion?
Yes, I started my own business with volleyball training, performance mindset coaching, and college recruiting. I was a school counselor before, but before I came to Dominion, I actually started a business and was doing that and then got back into school counseling.
How long were you involved with that business?
I started that business back in 2022, and I still do it part time so I’ve been doing it for about three years.
What are your goals for the school year?
My goal is to meet every student on my caseload, to provide support to every student no matter what that need is, and to have my students feel prepared to move on to the next grade or prepare to move on after high school.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Prince George’s county Maryland, which isn’t too far from here. I went to high school at St. John’s college in Washington D.C.
