School Counselor=Fulfilling Career

I recently had an opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony at my Alma Mata NC A&T State University (Aggie Pride) where the speaker was none other than our 1st lady Mrs. Michelle Obama!  During her speech she spoke on how we should be fulfilled in what we do and that we have the power to shape and change the world.  She mentioned how she graduated from law school and worked at a large firm making a lot of money, drove a nice car and had a big office.  She said that those were the things that were "expected" of her but she felt a void.  She didn't fill that void until she took a job working at the mayor's office (taking a significant pay cut) but she said that giving back and helping others helped in filling that void.

As she spoke, I couldn't help but feel that I am truly fulfilled in my job as a school counselor.  I could almost describe it as Oprah says "an ah ha moment".  I love what I do and know that I am truly making a difference in the lives of the students, staff and parents that I work with.  Figuring this out takes some time and is a feeling that "you just know".

If you didn't already know, I was a high school teacher prior to becoming a school counselor. I enjoyed being a teacher (and learned a lot from being a teacher) but I felt as though something was missing.  Beginning in my 2nd year of teaching I started working at a new school and was meeting the staff.  I met one of the school counselors and we talked for a while.  She was telling me about herself and how she enjoyed being a school counselor.  She seemed very passionate about her career as we spoke.  As we were ending our conversation, she said to me "you'd really like being a school counselor, it's something that you should consider".  Ah ha!  I hadn't even thought about being a school counselor, I just assumed that I'd always be a teacher.   It was just something about the conversation that sparked my interest in school counseling.  I began to research about school counseling, requirements, job descriptions, etc.  That year, I applied to graduate school and was accepted into a counselor education program.  In a perfect world I'd say "and the rest is history" but that's not totally true.  I needed some time to adjust to my new career as a counselor.  There was the change from working only at a high school to now working in an elementary school, working with a team to working solo, pretty much finding out what works best for me.  It took me several years to figure out what works best for me (and I'm still learning) but I can honestly say now that a simple suggestion from a co-worker (and now friend) lead me to a exciting, fun and fulfilling career as a school counselor.

Message from our PTA, makes you feel so appreciated!

Do you feel fulfilled in your career as a school counselor? I certainly hope so or hope that at least you have an opportunity to find fulfillment.  Sometimes in order to find fulfillment we have to make some changes.  Changing schools, changing districts or just changing up your program a bit can make a huge difference in your "void filling".

How did you get your ah ha moment that being a school counselor was the best fit for you? Pin It