Why This Educator Wanted to Be a School Counselor

Learn4Life High Schools celebrate National School Counseling Week

The letter in Patricia Ochoa’s desk is a bit worn from being opened and reread many times over the years. She is a school counselor at Learn4Life, a network of public high schools, and the letter is from a former student who graduated a few years ago.

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As a Learn4Life school counselor, Patricia Ochoa helps students with more than just college and career planning (Photo: Business Wire)

Right before she graduated, the student wrote a letter to Ochoa to say thank you for believing in me. She said that she never believed in herself, and her family never gave her any encouragement.

“It was a constant struggle to get her to come to school and turn in her work,” said Ochoa. “But we never gave up on her and told her every day that she was smart and could become whatever she wanted.”

Thanks to Ochoa asking every week where the student was and reminding her that she could do it… she did do it, and earned her high school diploma.

Ochoa recently received a call from the student who shared she is now married, has three children, is on the dean’s list at a community college and has been accepted to Fresno State University.

Every now and then Ochoa likes to reread that letter and be reminded why she has devoted her life to helping high school students.

National School Counseling Week, February 3-7, is an excellent time to shine a light on the many hats that school counselors wear.

Over the decades, their roles have expanded from career and college counseling to include a focus on social-emotional support. Students tend to be more stressed out during certain times of the year, like after the holidays – especially those without family connections. Social media and cyberbullying add to the anxieties of teenagers. Learn4Life counselors address students’ traumas and work with local licensed clinicians to refer students who need extra help.

School counselors take a much more active role in students’ academics, making sure they are on track to graduate and intervening with extra support when they’re falling behind.

“When they are missing school and not turning in assignments, we call, text and make home visits,” she said. “One student said she couldn’t do her homework because she didn’t have a charging cable. So, I drove to her house and dropped one off.”

Learn4Life has a lower student-to-counselor ratio than most schools, and provides personalized instruction, which Ochoa says allows her to spend more time with each student and get them the help they need – academically, emotionally and with career aspirations.

“At traditional high schools, counselors only had time to deal with the over-achievers who were college bound, and the under-achievers who were struggling,” she said. “Everyone in the middle was basically ignored. I wanted to find a place where every student got the support they needed to be successful.”

Ochoa points out that the open-door counseling policy at Learn4Life is essential so students can feel comfortable asking for help, and teachers and tutors become part of the team to recognize and head off any problems.

“We have a strong counseling program, and thankfully since the pandemic, more schools have realized how essential school counselors are to student outcomes,” said Ochoa. “Every day we wear a lot of hats, but it’s rewarding to know that students and their families appreciate our efforts.”

For more information about Learn4Life high schools, visit www.learn4life.org/personalized-learning/high-school/.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 64,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

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