I walked into my EN100 Fundamentals of English class with much nervousness and uncertainty. A couple of hours later, I was headed to my remedial math class with some awkwardness and shame. The shame I felt was related to not having the necessary skills or knowledge to get into a college-level math class.
The June 30 story in Marianas Variety titled “Manglona: Rota Students Need Counselor” was a telling article of the deficiencies of the RHS faculty and the reality that RHS students do not have much guidance. In the article, Sen. Paul Manglona said that for the past three years the counselor position at RHS has been unoccupied, and that he linked the vacancy to the lack of direction and limited perception of opportunities for recent graduates.
RHS Class of 2006 post-secondary pursuit statistics in the annual report for school year 2005-2006, reported that 45 percent were in a college/university, 16 percent in a community college, 14 percent in the military, 2 percent in job corps/apprenticeship program, 3 percent in the private sector, and 16 percent are unemployed.
It is interesting to note that the Class of 2006 was the last graduating class to have a counselor on board.
Some may argue that it is a parent or guardian’s responsibility to insure that their child is prepared for the future; however, counselors offer a different perspective, have the training and background to guide, and ready access to current information that students may need. Although I was fortunate to have a wealth of guidance from my family and to participate in the Upward Bound program, my college plans, career awareness, and self-confidence could have been enhanced if a counselor was present throughout my high school years and more importantly in my junior and senior years.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, a “high school counselor advises students regarding college majors, admission requirements, entrance exams, financial aid, trade or technical schools and apprenticeship programs…they consult and collaborate with parents, teachers, school administrators, school psychologists, medical professionals, and social workers to develop and implement strategies to help students succeed.”
A good counselor should have an idea of a student’s ambitions and goals. Relating back to the shame I felt of placing into a remedial math class, had a counselor been present and knew of my desire to attend college he/she would have flagged my high school C-average performance and encouraged me to take challenging classes in preparation for college work. Further, any deficiencies I had would have been addressed with in-depth instruction and steady encouragement. This would have gone a long way toward building my self-confidence and comfort level.
A counselor should also coordinate job fairs, career days, and university campus visits to give prospective graduates an idea of their options. For college-bound graduates, a workshop similar to UOG’s ID180: College Success Seminar may be helpful. ID180 is “designed to provide students with a fuller understanding and appreciation of higher education in the context of a diverse and multicultural campus, as well as a richer awareness of themselves as individuals and contributors to society.” Counselors should encourage students to participate in community planning events with leaders that would instill a sense of community pride and ownership.
The gap between administration and the student population could be facilitated by a counselor. The counselor would act as a liaison and unbiased mediator when addressing conflicts or identifying possible solutions. In the absence of a counselor, I have known some RHS students that were referred to the principal’s office often feeling that they were guilty until proven innocent. The lack of trust left many students feeling unimportant and insignificant. I believe it is critical for students to know and feel that they have a voice and are entitled to be heard.
As a result of an absent counselor, the lack of guidance for RHS students or “the leaders of tomorrow” as they are often called during commencement speeches is disappointing. With the new school year fast approaching, a greater priority must be placed to fill this vacancy over the vice principal position mentioned in the July 14 edition of the Marianas Variety. If funds are not readily available for a full time position, Public School System should look into the possibility of part-time hours for interested applicants. If there are no funds whatsoever or if the vacancy is hard to fill, an invitation to the local retiree population should be sent out. PSS could create a counselor/mentorship program. There are people within the community that are willing to assist in sharing their experiences and hopes of what they envision for Rota in the years to come. Taking on the idea of match.com, we could tap into locals abroad or on-island to create a network and inventory of potential mentors/matches for students to choose from; we could call it yourmentor.com. I challenge the leaders of today to lay the foundation for the leaders of tomorrow.
TJ HOCOG ATALIG
Freshman at the University of Guam
