Major changes have taken place in the guidance department over the summer including a physical update and staff changes to make the department more effective.
Guidance and the College and Career Readiness center were centralized into one space, with seven offices and one conference room, now located next to the main office at the new front entrance.
“I haven’t been in but it looks really nice,” junior Draven Wright said. “The counseling area before was pretty small and cramped but this seems a lot more open which I think is good for that counseling experience.”
The new location has been well received by students and staff alike due to its ease of access.
“We’re a lot more visible for everyone. We have better access to teachers, administrators and students, and our [new] layout is fantastic,” guidance counselor Jessica Hill said.
Moving the guidance offices was a critical component of the construction plans to account for the widening of Old Monroe Road.
“There’s a lot of factors that figured into why we decided to build a new guidance area, but I’m very glad we did,” principal Michael Harvey said. “If you think about it, guidance somebody who, in any school, should be touching every student, so every student should have the opportunity to benefit from that addition.”
The school’s new college advisor, Jonathan White, was brought in by a partnership program with Davidson college after working with a non-profit organization.
“Mr. White has done a phenomenal job already. I can speak both as a principal and a parent,” Harvey said. “I think experiencing this as a parent has really helped me understand the intricacies of his job firsthand, and I’ve been
very impressed.”
As the college advisor, White is responsible for preparing the senior and junior classes for upcoming regular decision deadlines, test dates, and financial aid.
“I really enjoy checking in with each student to see their individual plan. That part is really exciting to me because you never know what a student is thinking when they come into my office and it’s my job to figure out really what their dreams are,” White said.
White’s goal is to reach out to as many students as possible. He frequently sends out emails and has done several virtual presentations to increase outreach.
“I didn’t really speak to the college advisor before this year but I’ve seen Mr. White like five times at least which is really great that he’s reaching out to everybody,” Wright said.
Guidance works with all students to prepare them for the future and the updates are intended to aid that expectation.
“The main goal is to equip students to be successful,” Hill said. “[The new office] will help us eventually as we are a lot more accessible. It’s already great but we can only continue to improve.”