School counselors are mental health professionals who work in educational settings and focus on individual and group therapy as well as academic concerns and college and career preparation. I believe that the transformed counselor of today continues to perform these important tasks while being a leader among staff, an advocate for students and social justice, and an influential collaborator.

As a school counselor, I work with students, staff, teachers, administrators, and parents on a daily basis, and so it is no surprise that I fall into a leadership role within the school. I educate staff on pertinent school issues and become someone whom teachers can turn to when frustrated or concerned about a student. Administrators depend on me to increase the well being of the school and strive for a safe, healthy, environment for all students. I am an essential staff member because I  reach out to parents and the community to help garner their support for their children’s academic, emotional, and social development.

I know that a counselor must be collaborative as he or she works with staff, students, administrators, parents, and community members frequently. When I recognize the need to implement a program based on data driven evidence, the program’s success depends on my ability to get others to acknowledge its importance and help launch and maintain the project. I am a leader as I try to create positive change in the school, but I also collaborate and listen to others’ suggestions and ideas in order to implement the most effective programs.

Perhaps the most important role of the school counselor is that of an advocate. Counselors are the voice of their students, and I believe it is the counselor’s responsibility to try to find a way for every child to do well in school. I believe that all children are capable of success in a school environment and should have access to the same educational resources. Counselors gather data on truancy, test scores, grades, and discipline referrals in relation to gender, socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity and search for discrepancies. I question why these gaps occur and find a way to advocate for those students who are not as successful by creating a comprehensive program to decrease any disparities. I may get push-back but continue to promote social justice in order to increase the self-efficacy and achievement levels of all students.

As a school counselor, I am an influential, effective member of the school community who works to maximize student success every day through my roles as a leader, a collaborator, and an advocate for students and social justice. I believe that all children have the right to a quality education, and work tirelessly to assure that every student at my school is given the same opportunities to succeed.