Think about a school. What are the most fundamental elements? The principal runs the show. The vice-principal provides support. The teachers help the students learn, sure. But what is the glue that holds it all together? The counselors.

National School Counseling Week 2020, “School Counselors: Helping Build Better Humans,” was celebrated from Feb. 3–7, 2020, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February.

Children are, for lack of a better word, a mess. More so as they age. Counselors are there to “untangle” the knots in your rubber band ball of a mind. Certain students may need extra help, and it is readily available. The counselors are also some of the sweetest people on campus, always ready to help. 

NASSP reports that one in five children and adolescents will face a significant mental health condition during their school years. That number is insanely high. With over 1,200 students at Dobie, only four counselors have a lot of work to do!

Even if you don’t have a mental condition, someone you know might. Just a short time ago, I discovered that a friend of mine had been self-harming when I saw cuts on that person’s wrist. I knew how dangerous that was. The Jason Foundation says that as of 2018, suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 12-18. I was scared for this person, so I grabbed another friend and reported them to the counselors anonymously. 

Even though I remember them being angry because their parents had put restrictions on them when they found out, deep down I knew that I had done the right thing. The counselors had worked their magic, and now two years later, that person is happier than ever. You would never know that they had ever been feeling that way.

If nothing I have said has convinced you that counselors are important, then I don’t know what will. But the next time you or a friend are feeling some way that you shouldn’t, speak to a counselor. You might be grateful.