A basic core belief I have about a student’s ability to achieve is that all students have the ability to achieve. It may take more work for some students than others due to a variety of factors (such as socio-economic status, generational trauma and home environment,) however I believe that with the right amount of assistance, any child can succeed.  As such, I believe a school counselor’s role as an advocate is to make sure each student has an equitable chance to succeed academically and advance their lives to become an upstanding citizen. Personally, I also aspire to help students become more socially and culturally aware in the process. I plan to do this by establishing a school counseling program that focuses on the importance of diversity, while also building up a student’s self image. Specifically, because I plan to work at an international school, I find that a lot of countries tend to focus on western standards of beauty; as such I want to emphasize that just because something is the norm, doesn’t mean it’s ok. I want to let these students know that they are beautiful and capable as they are. 

Based on all of the information I provided, my vision statement as a school counselor would be: No matter a student’s situation, they will become culturally aware professionals, that will insight social change and thus change the world a little at a time.