People who pursue careers in school counseling will find themselves performing a valuable public service that could have a great long-term impact. Tamara Nabozny of Dearborn Heights, MI spoke with the Press and Guide newspaper about the work she has done at local elementary schools for the past 11 years. Nabozny's job duties include giving students lessons on things like safety - and she interacts regularly with parents, teachers and other students, who also receive individual counseling for a wide variety of issues. The job doesn't come without challenges. Like many school districts, Nabozny's is facing budget limitations that currently make her the only counselor for just over 1,300 students. She told the newspaper that she tries to work one day a week at each school in her district, with Fridays for paperwork. A shorthanded staff is only the beginning - Nabozny also regularly counsels students who are facing very serious problems at home that impact their learning. Some show signs of abuse, others have parents in jail and others are in families facing dire financial situations. "The kindergarteners are coming to school smarter than they ever have, but they are coming with more problems than they ever had," local school official Virginia Morgan told the Press and Guide.  |