Most students at Granada are familiar with the counselling centre at Granada. Whenever a student needs a schedule change, they go to the counsellor centre and the beginning of the trimester is always marked with a flood of students coming into the counsellor centre for schedule changes. But the counsellor centre offers so much more than people realize. It’s a place for students to find opportunities, plan their futures, or just relax.
“I do college and career planning, helping students research colleges, making college lists, figuring out whether they’re eligible for college, I do career planning… I research financial scholarships for college, options for students researching job opportunities, volunteer opportunities…” Mrs.Watson says. She’s the college and career specialist and helps students find opportunities to better their future. “I’m a PSAT coordinator when student[s] have questions about the SAT or ACT; I can help answer those questions, or direct them on where to go to apply. I work with the military, host events on campus for students, career fairs, job fairs, field trips”.
Many students in high school may find that they don’t know what to do in life, or that they don’t know how to get to where they want in life. There are many opportunities but students might not know where to look. For students feeling that way, the counsellor centre can be a big help in finding a path to take.
But that’s not the only thing counsellors do. “They can also do social-emotional counselling if you’re having a rough time,” says Mrs. Watson. The addition of the wellness centre, a room with things such as colouring and fidget toys for kids who need a break, is especially helpful for students.
“The wellness room is available to be used which has been a huge help to have. It’s just a space where kids come [to take] a break for 10 or 15 minutes to kinda regroup, it’s been really wonderful to have that the last few years,” says Ms. Therrien, a counsellor at Granada.
Working at the counsellor centre has its difficulties too. “I think the hardest part about my job is how many students we have because our school [is] up to almost 2,300 students and there’s only 4 of us. So I feel like it’s sometimes we have to spread ourselves kinda thin which can be kinda challenging,” says Ms. Therrien.
Most people could also attest to that since there are so many students who visit the counsellor centre at the beginning of trimesters. Mrs. Watson says that the most challenging part of her job as a college and career specialist is “finding ways to communicate with students”. She sends out many emails and college and career opportunities but she says, “I know not everybody checks email, finding ways to get the information to the students can sometimes be challenging.”
College admissions standards have been changing within the past couple of years as well. “Things are constantly changing especially with college admissions, just learning you know the new ways and things like that, so that then we can get that information to you guys to make sure you’re meeting admissions standards.” Counsellors are always working hard to stay up to date with admission standards so students can always trust that the information and advice they get from counsellors, is up to date with the times.
Despite this, counsellors love working with students and helping the younger generation with their future. Both counsellors said that at the end of the day, they do love working with students about what they’re passionate about. “I think my favourite part of the job is the variety, like I love being able to help students plan things…Seeing the excitement in their faces when they get classes that they’re really interested in and want to take. I enjoy seeing students be successful when they’ve struggled previously,” says Ms. Therrien.
“This is my 12th year at Granada and I love the community of the school with the students, staff, parents, everybody. My favourite part of my job is working with students…just helping students kind of figure out where it is they wanna go after high school, finding what their passion is, finding the right fit college,” says Mrs. Watson.
Ms. Therrien wants the counsellor centre “to be a place where everyone feels comfortable to come, to know that they can get support socially-emotionally”. Mrs. Watson also wants students to know that Granada has a big website full of links to find opportunities with whatever career they want to take. “And then just to check their emails,” she says.
