Conversations with a School Counselor: Lonnie Perez
As East View High School (EVHS) counselor Lonnie Perez reaches his 25th year in education and sixth year in Georgetown ISD (GISD), we sat down with him for a look at his journey as a school counselor. Through this journey, Perez’s goal has remained the same: to be a loud advocate for every student.
What led you to your career as a school counselor?
Before I even entered the field of education, I was working in advertising sales at the Austin American-Statesman. I realized that wasn’t the path for me and started seriously looking into education – a field I had always considered. So, I got my teaching certificate and started coaching and teaching history in Pflugerville ISD. I really enjoyed being with the students and supporting them, so I started to look into counseling. I shadowed our school counselors, and ultimately landed on this career path.
What would you say is the hardest part about being a school counselor?
We see a lot of students who are hurting, whether it’s from a falling out at school or the loss of a family member. Not always being able to fix it and take their pain away is the hardest part of the job. But, it makes me feel good that we are able to be there for our students and listen to them. We have the ability to help them in some way by being a source of support during hardships.
Can you talk about how the counseling team at EVHS works together?
Absolutely. We have an amazing team here. Through every change we have seen at our campus, our attitudes as school counselors have always remained the same: Students first. In order to be the best we can be for our students, we lean on each other for advice and support. I find myself asking my team members, “What would you do in this case? How can I best help my student?”.
Also, if one of us is having a hard day or is out of the office for some reason, we can always count on each other to keep the work moving. School counselors are often looked to for stability, and our team really tries to maintain that for our school and for our students.
What’s something that readers might not know about being a school counselor?
Customer service is a big part of the job. We get calls for just about anything, and we have to know how to answer the questions and who the right people are to put our parents and students in touch with.
Relationship-building is another big one. We have a tight relationship among our team, but beyond that, it is important that we have strong relationships with administration and teachers. We really want to know and be advocates for our teachers.
What is the most rewarding part of being a school counselor?
Watching a student that you have worked with for four years walk the stage. Seeing the families at graduation so happy and proud of their kids, it’s really the best.
To learn more about counseling services in GISD, visit our website.
