Mary Catherine Cunningham
This section serves as a representation of the many different experiences I have had working directly with students. I have learned many key interpersonal skills through each of these experiences that I believe have prepared me well to become a school counselor.
Panhellenic Recruitment Counselor
I served as a recruitment counselor, or pi chi, for fall Panhellenic recruitment. Panhellenic recruitment is the formal process of joining a sorority on Auburn's campus. It is comprised of specific timed rounds, invitation lists, and limits to the number of sororities a potential member might meet each round. Each freshman is assigned a recruitment counselor to guide her throughout the week, referred to as their "pi chi."
As a pi chi, it was my responsibility to lead a group of fourteen incoming freshmen girls. I ensured each of my girls knew the process and answered any questions she might have. I also gave objective counsel so that each girl might find a group of women she would feel comfortable and encouraged by. Furthermore, I offered emotional support and empathy throughout the week, as it can be a stressful time in the life of an incoming and transitioning freshman student at Auburn. This experience has prepared me to be a school counselor by strengthening my organizational as well as empathy skills. I kept track of fourteen different schedules for the week for each of my girls. These organizational skills will help me as a school counselor when I build schedules for my students. Furthermore, to be an effective counselor I must be able to empathize with my students.
High School Leadership Conference
I served as a counselor for the High School Leadership Conference for high school students in Alabama and surrounding states. The purpose of this conference was to give high school students the tools they need to become successful leaders in both their schools and communities. To do this, as a counselor, I facilitated discussion in breakout sessions and lead team building activities within my small group.
This opportunity allowed me further experience working specifically with high school students. One of my favorite parts about the conference was getting to know the students in my group individually. I was able to discuss high school struggles as well as future goals with one of my students, and it was so fulfilling. Talking with students one-on-one will be a significant component of my job as a school counselor. This experience allowed me to further expand my communication skills as well as my ability to relate to students. Additionally, I worked with fifty other college students who were also counseling groups of students. Collaborating and planning with my peers was a salient part to the success of the conference. Working with a team of peers correlates to school counseling because in some schools, there will be more than one counselor that I will need to collaborate with daily. Working with other counselors while a part of High School Leadership Conference will contribute to this ability in the future.
Young Women's Leadership Program
The Young Women's Leadership Program (YWLP) is an after-school curriculum based mentoring program that pairs junior high school girls with undergraduate college women. The goal of the program is to empower junior high girls by combining one-on-one mentoring with targeted group activities. The mission of the YWLP is to encourage the development of competence, connection, and autonomy among participants.
I was a mentor to two eighth grade girls from Auburn Junior High School. We met weekly for a full school year to discuss life lessons and leadership skills. To lead these meetings, I worked with eight other college students to teach curriculum and guide discussion on topics salient to middle school girls such as self-esteem, scholastic achievement, body image, social aggression, and healthy decision making. Furthermore, my girls and I hung out weekly to get to know one another on a deeper level so that I might serve as another added support and confidante in their lives. My experience leading my girls through each of these activities has further developed me to be a school counselor. I will often meet with students and need to discuss these topics with them, and I have grown in my understanding and knowledge of each of them.
Each of my girls was from a completely different racial as well as socioeconomic background than me. They opened my eyes to many different things specifically being faced with daily realities that I don’t deal with; for example, having people who look like me in power, in magazines, toys, etc. I grew in my understanding of diversity through this experience and feel better equipped to work with all students.
The "Gettoway" Retreat
The "Gettoway" is a weekend retreat for seventh and eighth grade students designed to allow them to get away from everyday life in order to grow in their relationships with each other and the leaders. While at the retreat, I was able to spend time leading a group of students in each and every one of the activities planned as well as in a small group discussion time.
This retreat confirmed my eagerness to work with students. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was watching my group of kids learn teamwork skills on the low ropes course. Guiding these kids and watching them finish an obstacle to reaching a goal was more than rewarding. I know that as a counselor I will love my job because I will also be helping students reach their goals. Additionally, from my time in a small group discussion, I learned the importance of relating to students on deep and significant levels. If students cannot relate to you, they will not trust you. If they do not trust you, they will not become vulnerable with you. The importance of learning to relate to students is essential if I want to be a successful counselor. This experience has better prepared me for working with students because I now have strategies that will help me to better connect with students.