The Monte Vista counseling department has undergone some changes since last semester. Alphabet counselors have shifted, and the college and career position have also changed. For most Monte Vista students, your alphabet counselor is the first person you go to for questions about courses, decisions about your college career, and sometimes even a letter of recommendation, so many students are left to wonder how this change will impact them.
This year, the college and career counselor position will be taken on by Ana Mooney. The previous year’s college and career counselor, Sarah Wells, is now a student alphabet counselor!
While the shift in counselors may not seem like a big deal, seniors at MV are concerned about what this will mean for their college application process. Many students need letters of recommendation from their counselors and hoped to receive one from the counselor that they’ve had since freshman or sophomore year. The change in counselors might mean a more generic letter, and some students have expressed their concerns in regards to this.
“Having a counselor change means that you won’t have a strong connection for your senior year, which is really important,” said Emma Stuart, a senior at Monte Vista.
For some students, counseling isn’t just about courses or college; students may also look to their counselors as someone to confide in. All staff members at Monte Vista are open and willing to talk with students about any mental health struggles that they may be dealing with, and many students will feel more comfortable with someone that is familiar with their background. Dealing with mental health can already be a tricky topic, and it may seem even more awkward or tense when talking to a new counselor.
The shift in counselors comes with many questions: How will this affect seniors? How will this impact a student’s mental health? How will the counselors deal with the many new student concerns? However, it is safe to say that the new counselors and all staff will work incredibly hard to address these concerns and make the campus the best it can be.
