My role as the seventh grade counselor is first to ensure the academic integrity of every student assigned to me. Then, I serve as one of a few mental health service providers on our campus, making sure students’ needs are met here at school and refer help at home. I also am part of a team that works to provide guidance counseling to all students. Sometimes in class, sometimes individually. Lastly I am the campus Lead Counselor. I do a lot of things in this capacity, mostly paperwork and meetings too boring for you to read about. Overall, I am here for our students. An ear to yell at, a shoulder to cry on, and a smiley face to try to make student’s day better.
A little about me.
Originally from El Paso, I moved to Austin in 1992 to work for the City of Austin/Travis County Health Department. Missing the classroom, I started work for Austin Independent School District and taught eighth grade Science for 17 years at Murchison Middle School, earning my Masters in Science Education from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em!) and my National Board for Professional Teaching Certification in the meantime. I left the classroom full time to pursue a position as one of AISD’s REACH Mentor Teachers. I worked directly with novice teachers at Martin, Pearce, and Webb Middle Schools. I earned my School Counseloring Certification and was happily accepted to be a school counselor here at Kealing. This is my 22nd year in Austin ISD and 23rd in Texas Public Schools – every single one of them at the middles school level. I seriously enjoy being here at Kealing: great kids, great faculty, great administration; and I hope to stay as long as you’ll have me.