Rebecca Wilson  Social Work, '99 Stamford High School Counselor

COLLEGE MAJOR
Undergraduate - Social Work; Graduate - Social Work; Post Grad 6^th Year Degree in School Counseling. I knew I wanted to help others but I didn't figure it out until I took a course in Human Services. My passion is Social Work and I LOVE the field of Social Work.

JOB POSITIONS
I am a High School Counselor. I work with ages 14-18 facilitating their educational, social, and emotional development. In addition, I do consulting as a Social Worker part-time and adjunct faculty teaching in Social Work.

TYPICAL DAY
My daily activities vary day to day depending on the time of school year it is and the issues presented by my students. My hours are 7:10-2:20 and I work from the end of August to almost the end of June. Some of my responsibilities include brief counseling, crisis management, course scheduling, college admissions, student meetings, parent meetings, case conferences, teacher conferences, professional development, interfacing with the community agencies on behalf of students, advocating, and anything else that comes along with assisting with the educational and social-emotional development of the students. My caseload is approximately 200 which include freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

POSITIVES
Witnessing my students reach their goals throughout their high school career. Graduation day is a very proud, exciting day for me!

NEGATIVES
Students who are failing and those have very little or no motivation to succeed in high school.  Uninvolved parents can be frustrating and sad. Lack of resources to do the most effective job possible as a School counselor is frustrating.

LIFESTYLE
I am more aware of issues that affect the adolescents of today. A good portion of my time is spent being involved with extra-curricular activities that are teen centered.

COLLEGE PREPARATION
Every aspect of my education prepared me for my career one way or another. All of the preparation I had was relative and is being put to good use.

CAREER ADVICE
School Counseling is a career that requires passion for helping others and if you are not passionate about it, the teens don't need you. Also, if you are interested in doing one-on-one or group therapy sessions then go into Social Work. If you are interested in being on the front lines guiding students through their education, then go into School Counseling.

SHU EXPERIENCE
I was a commuter student so I didn't get involved with the school activities. The Social Work program was rigorous and gave me a solid foundation for graduate school and a great start to my career.