I believe that all students can reach what they set out to achieve, even when there are barriers to their success. School Counselors, teachers, and other adults can positively impact the trajectory of a student’s success by helping to identify and overcome barriers that impede the path to achieving their goals. Acknowledging that some students have a load that is unfairly heavier than others’, I strongly believe that our students’ success also depends on their own willingness to work for it.  As advocates and allies we can walk with our students down the path to success, but we cannot walk it for them.

An important aspect of School Counseling is to not only ally ourselves with students, but to advocate for them loudly and systematically. The research presented by Abreu, et al. (2016) shows that school counselors’ advocacy must extend past the individual and include advocating within the school and community for social justice to have the biggest impact on the well-being of our marginalized students. Advocacy can include education for the school community, teaching self-advocacy skills to students, raising awareness, and initiating difficult conversations.  With issues of equity in mind, it is important to note that our most marginalized groups of students may require more of our advocacy efforts as we work toward a more just society.

School counselors are bound by a professional code of ethics that “guide school counselors’ decision-making and help standardize professional practice to protect both students and school counselors” (ASCA, 2019, p. 15).    With clearly and thoughtfully defined ethical standards in place, the work of the school counselor has been made clear to all those who work with them (students, teachers, administrators, parents, guardians, etc.), and they provide a guide for ethical practices, and support and direction for the profession. 

I believe that school counselors are to help students to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and to inform and direct them in career and education options after high school. The success of all students is possible through school counseling programs that are data-informed, comprehensive, and include education and advocacy for social justice within the school community and beyond.

Sources Cited

Abreu, R. L., Black, W. W., Mosley, D. V., & Fedewa, A. L. (2016). LGBTQ youth bullying experience in schools: The role of school counselors within a system of oppression. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11(3-4), 325–342.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

American Psychological Association (2020, Feb. 1) Building your resilience. APA.org https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience/building-your-resilience

Cornell University (n.d.) Building resilience. https://health.cornell.edu/resources/health-topics/building-resilience