Beyond School Walls

Beyond School Walls Mentoring kick off with BBBS of the Triangle, Captrust, & Carroll Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, where I have served for 5 years as School Counselor, the last two as Career Counselor. We began a partnership with Captrust and Big Brothers Big Sisters planning this program last year in late May, and after many meetings, emails, applications, interviews...this amazing experience has began in September 2017. Mentoring includes job shadowing, team building, tutoring, inspiring, listening, support, direction, brotherhood, sisterhood, literally...beyond our school walls! We also have mentoring within our school walls, where any adult who cares, can come in for a volunteer background check, and meet with small groups of students during their lunch & lead class once a week. I began this program 3 years ago after with a desire to provide an extra layer of support to students who need it. We welcome YOU! Some of our PTA members, Parents, Business Partners & school staff have done this last year! This is one of the most rewarding parts of my work as well! Making a difference in the lives of our teens is what we do...❤️

WRAL was there to catch our students going in to Captrust for the first time:

Kristin Stewart, CFO at Cii Technologies serves on our Business Alliance and is a Board Member of Midtown Alliance, which sponsored this fundraising event for Teen Cancer America! Pumpkin Palooza...they choose a different charity each year to sponsor...amazing day in North Hills near the Amphitheater! Even had a Canine Costume Contest!

We had some wonderful student volunteers who took time out of their
Saturday to help the younger children at the event!

Even siblings got in on the Volunteer Action!

Assisting younger children in the inflatables!

Students were assisting younger children with making Bird feeders,
and painting pumpkins!

Amazing Student 
Volunteers...so proud of them all! : ) 

These were taken when some of my amazing colleagues and I met on a Saturday to experience the RACE Exhibit, at the Museum of Natural Sciences. We had deep discussions and learned a lot that day from the exhibit and from one another. Let's keep learning, growing and fighting for equity among all...

The #OtherPeopleMatter movement has come to Carroll Magnet Middle School, we are a partner school, and had the honor of hosting the Board Members of the Positivity Project at our school in October! You may recognize a few famous faces, but all in all...as they will tell you...we are all in this together, bringing positivity & character education to every school! New schools are joining this worthwhile movement all the time and 17 of our Principals in Wake County gathered at Carroll to hear our student panel speak about what they are learning about themselves! #TeamKidsFirst

So as a new CDC, beginning last school year...went through the 120 hour training over four months to add Career Development Coordinator to my Educator's License, which was bringing me full circle in my own career.  I began my career with government programs as a Career Counselor, worked with teens in the summer youth employment program and with adults in three states (moved with my husband's job) who were laid off from their jobs and needed counseling, retraining/certifications to get back into the workforce.  I became a School Counselor in 1997, and served in Wake County Schools for 12 years at all educational levels K-12, the last three years were at Carroll. (I left for 6 years to pursue my license as a Professional Counselor and earned my license in 2007, and began a small private practice and still serve individuals & families on weekends) 

 Last year I served at two schools, Centennial Campus Middle and Carroll...this year, Elizabeth MacWilliams, our Principal said she wanted me back full time and asked if I would teach the Career Decisions elective classes.  So here I am... this photo was from the fall Conference for CDC/SPC's, for high school & some for middle school, it was in Boone, NC, at App State. I also attended the summer Conference in Greensboro and I have a vision for how middle schools need to be just as much in the forefront as high school, not only in our state, but around the country.  So National Conference may be in the future...

Rosalynn Tenny, CDC at Heritage Middle, and I
at the Conference in Boone in September.  I have gained a lot of insight from her advice, as well as other CDC's I have gathered around me as mentors to learn from. Rosalynn is so talented and has such a heart for what we do for students every day! It is an honor to serve with such talented professionals with heart! <3

Great Quote to remember daily! : )

Superintendent's Breakfast Honoring Volunteers in our Schools!

Members of our Business Alliance at Carroll Magnet Middle, our Principal, Elizabeth Mac Williams, Assistant Principal Brendan Fetters, Nashonda Brown, new Teacher at Carroll, Gerri Brodeman from Junior Achievement, and Dan Cwiakala who volunteers in many ways at our school, mentoring, guest speaker for classes, Career Cafe, and even works with our football team. David Skaar is one of our great parents at Carroll, mentors students and serves on our Business Alliance.   

Here Brendan Fetters, AP and I are with Adrienne Cole, President and CEO of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.  She delivered a dynamic key note speech that inspired all of us to do even greater things in our community, with heart...

Our Newest Business Alliance Members joined us as well, Mary Affee, Therapist & owner of her own private practice and JC, Banker...such talent serving our school! We are very grateful to have them as well.

Teaching the Career Decisions Electives

A new experience... teaching electives, Career Decisions ...here are some of my 6th graders...such a great group of students! We are exploring ourselves, personality, preferences, interests, and how good character carries over into our careers as well.

We are honored to have students from all over the world!

I love that our students can be themselves and even be silly together sometimes, learning in all kinds of settings, collaborating in groups, individual and collectively as a class.  We have had Guest Speakers sharing about their careers and how good character is essential in our careers!