By: Nathalie Barahona and Valery Robles, Camden Academy Charter High School
School counseling is vital to help students solve problems so they can more easily achieve academically.
Counseling is not only important to the students, but to the counselors as well because they love helping students and developing strong bonds to have a positive impact on students’ lives.
According to Camden Academy 11th grade counselor, Ms. Arlene Villanueva “Counseling is important because it can help people with physical emotional mental health issues improve their sense of well being, alleviate feelings of distress and resolve crises,” she said.
This is especially important for students because students may have personal problems at home, and they also have to deal with stress in school or problems that they might have with other students. Having a counselor to talk to helps students be less stressed, which in turn can help students improve their academics.
For our counselors at Camden Academy, being counselors means a lot. They can use what they’ve learned in their experiences to help others that may not know how to help themselves. They can support the students by being that open person you can always talk to and can help you be unafraid to share what you need to share.
Ms. Sofia Masarro, 9th grade counselor said being a school counselor is also being a student advocate.
“[Counseling] means to support my students in any way that I can, and to advocate for them in school and help to connect them with resources and help them find out what they need,” Masarro said.
Twelfth grade counselor, Ms. Maddie Virga said that counselors do whatever it takes to help a student in need.
“My main goal is to help you, so whatever I need to do to help you, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Virga said.
When asked if they thought that counseling really helped students, they all said, “Yes!” They said that counseling can have a positive impact and can create a positive relationship with an adult who can become a role model for the students.
At the end of the day, the counselors say that they can be there for the students, but the students also have to be open-minded enough to use the emotional tools the counselors give them to be able to improve themselves.
Counselors can’t create change for a student, they explained. Students have to want that change, and counselors will help them along the way.
“I think it is better when students get to tell me what they need, and they feel comfortable and open while talking,” Massaro said. “When I have a good relationship with my students, I feel like I’m really helping them.”
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