Admission essay for school counseling programs

¶ … School Couseling

School counseling is one of the most important elements of the school community. It represents a guiding presence in most aspects, starting from the academic field to the most personal one. As part of the general system which in fact offers the individual medical care in its broadest of terms, the school counseling choice is, in my opinion, an option which completes and enriches the work and struggle of medical doctors, from physicians to psychologists.

There are a number of reasons for which I considered the school counseling graduate program. However, the main reason is the passion I have for children and their existence. In this sense, as they grow up, especially as young teenagers and future adults, they are constantly in need of guidance which may not be available from their parents. This is why I consider that the school environment can create such a connection between its pupils and the system through a counselor. He or she may embody the entire array of answers a young teen may need in order to surpass certain barriers specific to their age. Moreover, I consider that my desire to help children has also encouraged me to look beyond certain material aspects of real life and search for more profound answers, answers I was deprived of in my early teens. From this perspective, I think that my experience, both academic and my life experience can be useful to children and pupils in their quest for discovering their own individual identity.

Another major element that played a part in my career choice is intimately related to my passion for children and the desire to help. I am currently engaged in a foster care system and I am taking care of a 17 years old girl, diagnosed with RAD. The constant help I try to offer her represents an important emotional achievement. Despite the natural consequences such a diagnosis has on both the girl and me, I consider that her stay in a community that has offered her more than medical support is an essential element in her well being. From this perspective, I am convinced that school counseling can be a factor of real use for pupils and students alike. However, it cannot be done without a proper mental, emotional, and theoretical preparation. This is why I consider that the graduate program will help me in achieving all three states of readiness.

Aside from studies, experience is important in working with vulnerable children and young adults. However, my goal is to succeed in helping them find the answers to their questions or at least guiding them towards different reflection paths. Nonetheless, my experience as a case manager at Ionia County Community Mental Health where I work with children with mental disabilities has enabled me to see different sides of the human personality which gave me the experience to analyze and consider issues and problems with more empathy and understanding.