Teagan Kosche, Reporter
Featured Image by Teagan Kosche
While students sit and chat by the spiral staircase, new counselors Thomas Ferrell and Elizabeth Lato are settling into their new roles at the NCHS. Most students in high school view their counselors as people they can go to for help, suggestions, or simply someone they can just talk to. For seniors, it can be hard to create a relationship with their new counselor, especially when it comes to talking about the college admission process. However, having new counselors gives students an opportunity to make a new lasting relationship and learn new ideas that will help them through their high school years.
Mr. Ferrell is replacing Cynthia Rivera and taking over her caseload, while Ms. Lato is replacing Lindsay Gottfried. This means new faces in the counseling department that may make students feel unfamiliar at first.
NCHS counselors are trained to help in anything students have a problem with, both in and out of school.
“We are able to help students in all academic, social, emotional, and career pillars,” NCHS counseling department chair Sara Drexel said. “We’re a department that I feel is very student centered and we care about you having a person here who can have your back.”
Photo by Teagan Kosche
Both new counselors Ms. Lato and Mr. Ferrell already have experience helping students in many ways, and has made connections with students of all ages. “I’ve done this for so many years so I try to just get to know them at different touch points of communication and engagement while also continuing to open my door and invite them in,” Ms. Lato said.
Mr Ferrell had worked as a sports coach in his prior years before coming to NCHS. He worked at Danbury, Wilton, and New Milford. Sports and counseling have lots of similarities, Mr. Ferrell has experience with these genres since his career as a coach and D1 athlete. “They’re definitely different areas, but I think there’s a lot of similar themes,” Mr. Ferrell said. “As a counselor, as a coach, and as a teacher we are all here to support you students and help you grow.”
The main goal for counselors is to provide guidance and advice to students. “I can reach my personal goal for myself by helping to support students,” Ms. Lato said. Mr. Ferrell shared similar advice. “I’m going to support my students however I can and however they need,” Mr. Ferrell said.
Not only are counselors able to use what they have to help you, but they are able to use information from students to know how to make the department better. “If we find in December that we’re seeing more students who are expressing high levels of stress, we can identify ways to set up a program where we’re noticing issues. For example, therapy dogs come into the office area during certain points of the year,” Ms. Drexel said. “There are times where we know that students would benefit from that and get ahead of it so that we don’t have students stressed.”
For instance, the college admission process can be daunting for many senior students. Not only is that itself stressful, but your counselor will be writing their recommendation letters. However, seniors have all put in the effort in the past years to slowly create that bridge into their future. “My seniors have done the work, put in this effort, and put together this wonderful portfolio. I’m here to give a couple of tips, advice, and some of the things that I know to overall help,” Mr. Ferrell said.
Your time at the high school can move fast. “This is a marathon, so it’s important to enjoy the time that you have,” Ms Drexel said. “Take advantage of the small things, celebrate the things that you have going on.”
