Students may need a school counselor for a plethora of reasons. There could be personal issues at home, or one could be experiencing an academic struggle. No matter what the problem may be, there is always a way to solve it with some help and guidance. The Great Crossing High School school counselors will help guide students the right way and focus on what needs to be accomplished.

Counselors are a very important part of the school environment. They don’t just help with academics. They help with personal and emotional issues too, which is a fairly recent change.  In the past, school counselors used to be referred to as guidance counselors. The term guidance counselor implies that counselors primarily focus on college or career issues. The term school counselor is more appropriate today because these individuals serve as school leaders and help students with a wider variety of issues. School counselors often collaborate with many outside agencies as well to create a comprehensive school counseling program. 

School counselors are very important to students, especially in high schools. Teenagers are raging with hormones and emotions. It’s very normal for teenagers to fall victims of anxiety and depression. According to an article published on baltimoresun.com, “The National Institute of Mental Health has recently reported that about 20 percent of our nation’s teen-agers either have or have had a seriously debilitating mental disorder. That’s an alarming statistic when one considers the number of students in a school environment who are on the cusp of externalizing their frustrations and placing themselves and others at risk on a daily basis.” The counselors are here to help students figure out how to overcome obstacles that seem overwhelming at times, and counselors are becoming an important part in helping students with their mental health.

Great Crossing counselors often give students a chance to open up about their private life in ways they haven’t ever felt comfortable enough to do which can help maintain good mental health. “I’ve told my counselor things I can’t even imagine telling most of my friends. It made me feel so much better to know that no matter what I said I wouldn’t be judged,” said sophomore Graham Carter.

Counselors also help students be successful in academics. Often students have to complete more class work than they think they can handle. Going to the counseling office is a great first step to overcome this type of situation. Counselors can help students analyze the situation and create a plan of action. According to counselor Nick Maxwell, “My goal is to help them recognize what they want to achieve and how to get there.” 

Sophomore Kaely Peterson is a student who sought help from her counselor, Christina Watford, when her academic work became overwhelming. “My counselor really has helped me set my goals higher this year. I am doing so well at maintaining my 4.0 GPA this year,” she said. Peterson’s counselor helped her write down a list of what needs to be done to maintain her grades, and the counselor also helped her to plan a schedule that included an early morning course.  This allowed her to go home early after 5th hour, giving her more time in the afternoons for school work.