Guidance and Counseling Staff Put Hill-Murray’s Mission Into Action

Pictured from left to right: Charlie Cicalello, Shawn Reid, Aaron Goulet, Carrie Egan, Lisa Valentine and Jodi Hurley

While we are extremely grateful every day for our amazing Hill Murray Guidance and Counseling staff, we want to pay special tribute to them during National School Counseling Week. This week was designated to call attention to the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve success inside and outside of the classroom and into their careers. 

“Their roles are more important than ever as students navigate their way through all the additional challenges brought on by the pandemic, the rapidly changing workforce and an increase in mental health concerns,” says Hill Murray President Melissa Dan. “Our counselors live our mission every day by giving students the tools and support they need to fulfill their God-given potential and make a positive difference in our world.”

Our Guidance and Counseling department staff recently told us about their roles and responsibilities and gave a little advice.

Department co-chairs Lisa Valentine and Jodi Hurley

What do you love most about your job?  

We love Interacting with students on a daily basis. Our team is an eclectic group which makes work fun and interesting.  We enjoy the variety in our everyday tasks. No day is ever the same. 

How has your job changed during the pandemic and what has it meant for students? 

Our job didn’t change that much since we were able to be in person the majority of the time, but the way we delivered some of our curriculum has varied. Zoom was utilized more. We have seen an increase in mental health issues so we have spent more time focusing on that.

How do you help prepare students for post-secondary education/vocations? 

We provide all-encompassing, holistic college and career counseling. 

Do you offer services student’s may not commonly see at other schools? 

We provide career exploration with a Career Fair, a Career Shadowing experience, college essay writing, resume writing and assistance with college and scholarship search. 

If a student has a social or emotional issue they would like to discuss with you without others knowing about it, what is the best way for them to do so? 

All social and emotional conversations are confidential. Students can email us or come in to make an appointment, whichever is better for them.

Middle School and High School can be difficult years. What advice do you have for students as they try to navigate it in an increasingly complicated world? 

Be authentic!  It’s okay to make mistakes. There is always someone here available to listen.

Why did you choose Hill-Murray? 

The strong community which is grounded in faith. 

Every student in grades 6-12 has a designated counselor. You can find all the counselors and their contact information on the Guidance and Counseling page of the website. 

“Our goal is to provide academic and emotional support to every student on their journey here at Hill-Murray,” Dan said. “We couldn’t do that well without the expertise and commitment of  our counselors. I know I’m tremendously thankful for all that they do this week and every week.”