YUMA, Ariz.-
The counselors of the Yuma Unified High School District are a part of an initiative, to ensure that every student that graduates is prepared to succeed in their post-high school goals and dreams.
Every few months they meet to discuss financial aid, scholarships, and other plans of action to ensure their students success.
They tell News 11 what services they love to provide.
“It’s really important for all of the counselors to make sure that kids get the money they need to go to college. But we have designated one counselor to be the scholarship coordinator,” Christie McMorris a scholarship counselor at Yuma High School says.
Becky Garcia a Cibola High School counselor says,
“Each one of our students is unique and different, so we have to really look and see where their goals are, but to do that we have to get to know them.”
“We try to help students figure out what they want to do, with the programs. And give them the resources that they need now because of the technology era that we live in” says Caesar Castillo a counselor and Baseball Coach at San Luis High School.
Along with the ‘Ready Now Yuma’ campaign and their partnership with the Helios Education Foundation, the YUHSD’s commitment to EVERY student to graduate, is their number one priority and why they love being a part of it all.
Nancy Dolezal a counselor at Vista High School says,
“That hope that we give them and every single one of our teachers, every staff member, gives that positive, can do attitude to our students. So we do see a different person, a young adult, a person that can be successful in life, walk out those doors.”
“I think that’s what makes my job…everyday…knowing that, I can be a little bit of light in the life of my students” says Becky Garcia.
Terri Garcia a Kofa High School counselor says.
“I think what I love most about being a counselor, is that we get to know our students, and we see the struggles and hardships they go thru. How they learn to turn obstacles into positive learning experiences that, down the road, will help them to be successful.”
Making a difference everyday in the lives of their students, making their parents proud, and changing the community as new graduates go out to better the world…is no better feeling.
“I think going to cry…what I love most about what I do, is making sure kids get to college, and It’s really important that they are able to go to the school they really want to go to” Christie McMorris concluded.