Counseling may be considered one of the toughest jobs at the school. A nice adaptation to the school for new students relies partially on the counselor’s help. Counselor Alan Porter has worked 12 years as a counselor.

“I earned a Social Studies degree and Social Science, so lots of psychology and sociology,” Porter said.

Porter taught for 20 years before deciding he needed a change which led him to becoming a counselor.

“I love kids. I love working with kids, and so I thought I would just get that additional master’s degree in educational counseling and just move to a different room in the school,” Porter said.

Many students visit the counseling center every day. Seven counselors work in the center and each one receives between twenty and fifty students a day. A good counselor can be critical for the situation of the student. There are many important aspects in good counseling.

“I think the most important part is making them feel like they are welcome,” Porter said.

There are about 100 new students this year. One of them is Sarandon Chino, who recently moved to Utah from Uruguay. Her dad got sent here because of his job and they bought a house nearby. She visited Mr. Kawa for help with her classes, and really appreciated the help she received.

“It is really important because it’s just someone to talk to who is very informed about the classes. They help you out and get to know you and figure out where you want to be and do,” Chino said.

Chino will probably have a good year here thanks to the help she received. This is another aspect of counseling. The way that the counselor feels when they help a student and they adapt perfectly to the school is priceless.

“It gives you satisfaction to see that a kid could fit in. That they could find a little niche for themselves and be happy,” Porter said.