From the Eyes of a Guidance Counselor

This week is National School Counseling Week. As reported in a previous article on Patch, Carroll County Public Schools employ 94 guidance counselors and behavior support specialists.

In an effort to celebrate the work the guidance counselors do every day and to shine the spotlight on their jobs, Patch has asked several local counselors why they do what they do.

Suzanne Peters has been a guidance counselor for seven years. She is currently at .

The best part of my job as a school counselor is building relationships with students, staff and parents. These relationships are what make it possible for me to affect positive change for children, families, and staff.

The most challenging part of my job is trying to be in 3 places at once to help meet the needs of over 400 students in my school. There are so many aspects to the job and I strive to be the school counselor for all children, not just those who need some extra attention.

I decided in the first year of my teaching career that I wanted to be a school counselor. I have a degree in psychology and love working in schools so it was the perfect blend for me.

Christina Mohlhenrich has been a guidance counselor for 15 years. She is currently the department chair at .

The best part of being a counselor is working with the students.  I love helping and advising teenagers with their future plans, academic achievement, character development, and any personal issues they may be having. 

Every day is different and sometimes can be overwhelming, especially in a crisis.  I always want to be student focused so the paperwork can tie me down at times but it is part of the job.

During my senior year of high school in Montgomery County, I was an aide in the school counseling department. This experience helped me to decide to study education at the college level.  Plus both of my parents were in education.  My father was a principal in Montgomery County and my mother taught at Montgomery Community College. 

Heidi Kohls has been a guidance counselor for 12 years. She is currently at Winters Mill High School.

The best part of this job is being able to help others and the appreciation you get from the students. It is very satisfying to listen to the students, help them solve problems and watch them walk out much happier than they were when they walked in. 

The most challenging part is when you can't help the students with something. They come in with some pretty heavy burdens and we aren't always able to help them. It can be pretty heart breaking. All we can do is listen and provide a safe place for them to lay their burdens down. It can leave you feeling helpless at times. 

I started out thinking I wanted to be a clinical (community) counselor and we went into the schools running a group for rape victims (during grad school) and I really liked being in the school environment and working with teens.  I switched my major to school counseling instead of clinical counseling and I am happy I did.  I always knew I wanted to help others. It just took me a while to figure out what capacity it would be in. 

Melisa Hannon, currently at , has been a guidance counselor for five years.

The best part of being a school counselor is impacting the lives of students.  Being their advocate. Helping them navigating their way through school, helping them be successful life-long learners.

The paper work is the most challenging part of my job.

I was teaching at first and students would tell me things that they would normally tell counselors.  I loved it and thought instead of going to further my education for teaching, I'd go for counseling!  I know this is my path.

Stephen Byrnes is currently at and he has been a guidance counselor for 15 years.

The best part of my job is having the chance help someone every day.  Each day is different and we have an opportunity during every one of them to make a difference in someone's life .

The most challenging part of our job is the level of multitasking that is necessary. The school counselor's job is so very comprehensive that it is a challenge to be effective in all of our roles. After joining CCPS, after 8 years in another county system, I believe Carroll County school counselors do this better than anyone.

My first experience as a counselor was at the Kennedy Krieger Institute where I worked as a Crisis Intervention Specialist.  After working with the students on an emotional and developmental level and seeing that I could make a difference in their lives…I was sold.