Lake Mary just recently went through the accreditation process which happens only every 5 years, and passed with flying colors. However, the students brought up to the team one issue the school tends to overlook- access to the guidance department. Students planning on graduating have struggled to get the concrete answers they need in terms of their futures.

Elizabeth Amat, junior, sees both sides of the equation. “It’s so hard to establish a strong connection with my counselor since she’s consistently booked. Right now, she’s booked until March and I need to talk to her about certain classes that I want to take. However, I feel that Mrs. Pritsker really does care about me being successful in the future.” The rigorous courses that Lake Mary has to offer remain strong because of the counselors’ recommendations for students to pursue academic challenge. This is increasingly difficult to do, though, when it takes two months to sit down for a 5-minute conversation with the person whose job is to secure your schedule. Ultimately, your counselor helps you determine your future.

Up until junior year, meeting with your counselor doesn’t really matter. Freshman and sophomore year courses aren’t as detrimental as some of the hard junior year courses can be. Then, senior year courses are the last thing some colleges see before deciding whether to admit you or not. Meeting about your classes is more important than the average student considers, and it isn’t easy to request an appointment, which further deters the less motivated students who actually need the guidance.

The counselors themselves are not the issue. Senior Ana Rebolledo said, “While it may be difficult to get an appointment through the office, whenever I go to see my counselor directly, she sees me as soon as possible. Ms. Vevera has been incredibly helpful during the admissions process, especially in making sure I had everything ready to apply.” The guidance department has a huge role in admitting students to college, as most colleges require letters of recommendation from the student’s individual counselor. It’s hard to send colleges a decent representation of yourself when your counselor barely knows you.

We can’t do this alone. Guidance is important in helping us understand how to move on from high school. Whether it’s helping us pick our classes, or making sure we get into college (which determines the rest of our lives, basically…), we cannot live without our counselors. We just need more.