A Deeper Dive Into a Guidance Counselor’s Life

Courtesy of Ms. Urena

Victoria T, Business Manager

At Winter Springs High School, every faculty and staff member is committed to helping students grow as individuals and meet their graduation goals. Those who work in Student Services have the opportunity to work with students on an individual basis, guiding them on their way through their high school experience. This article will spotlight one of our expert guidance counselors at WSHS.

Mrs. Urena, a seasoned veteran, provides  guidance counseling at Winter Spring High School.  She  has dedicated her life to improving the lives of thousands of students. Her most memorable experiences are the grateful students who graduated despite difficult obstacles in their lives. Urena’s mission: make sure that everyone complies with their graduation requirements and graduates.  The industrious counselor ensures that no matter what their circumstances, her students graduate and have the option of going to college. Her advice to incoming freshmen: “Make it count; freshman year can affect what classes someone can take and it can affect their GPA significantly whether it be good or bad.”  

Generally, most people take for granted the work of guidance counselors and fail to realize the responsibilities  that guidance counselors face. Counselors ensure that students are in the right classes, work one on one with students facing challenges, fix schedule issues, provide advice to students who are about to go to college, have meetings with  students and parents on  a variety of issues, etc. Even though Urena is faced with an interminable amount of work, she stated that she adores her job because she gets to interact with students and learn more about them. She expressed, “I really love what I do, and getting to interact with students and helping students who are facing difficulties is definitely one of the most rewarding parts of my job.” Urena’s service has been instrumental  to students in finding their career paths and educational path, even if it looks different for each student. Succinctly put, Urena is among the counselors at  WSHS who devotes her energy and talent to improving the lives of students.  

Outside of school, the diligent counselor partakes in many interests. Among her interests are kayaking, going to the beach, and  reading books. With a bright smile, she emphasized, “During the summer, I really like going to the beach, and when I find a spot where nobody else is, I take out my chair and sunbathe.” Additionally, she likes going to rivers and kayaking with her family or by herself. All in all, not only has Winter Spring’s dedicated counselor assisted students with their educational and  personal lives, but she maintains an interesting balance  outside of school.