A counselor’s job is to help the students who feel overwhelmed or have struggles with balancing the responsibilities of high school. They help students pick the best curriculum to support their future goals while also providing them with emotional support when needed.
“My role here at school is to ensure that every student graduates being prepared to explore post secondary options,” College and Career Counselor Kimberly Delicato said. “Whether it be college or entering the workforce. I can help students with job applications, practicing interview skills, financial aid, college applications, learning how to shake someone’s hand properly, and also putting them in contact with employers that they may be looking for high school students to hire after high school.”
Indelicato is located inside the library at the first door on the left. Her goal is to assist students in anything they need to prepare for life outside the classroom. She wants to fill in the gaps a student may have. She understands the importance of having a counselor to assist students.
“Well, back in my day we really did not utilize our counselors,” Indelicato said. “We filled out a piece of paper and that was how we applied. We came from a period of error, the error being a lack of information. Nowadays we have everything at the touch of our fingertips, but we almost have an abundance of resources out there. There’s so much that students don’t know where to look and that’s where I come in.”
The school has a multitude of resources such as Free and Reduced Lunch, Homeless Assistance, Pregnancy Related Services, Fee Waivers, PSAT/SAT/TSI/ASVAB testing opportunities during the school day, Credit Recovery, Summer School, laptops, Career Day along with a Job Shadow day, district events such as TIE Night, College Night, FAFSA Night, Klein2College, Pathway Summit, Parent Workshops, and Zeus, the comfort dog. Even with all these resources, the biggest resource is the staff of Klein Collins.
“I would probably say the biggest resource that this school has to offer is our staff,” Indelicato said. “The reason why is because we are our students biggest cheerleaders. We support them in any way we can. But once they walk across the stage June, there are no more cheerleaders and so trying to help students prepare themselves and get you know, organized and start thinking about their future is very important before they graduate because there are resources that aren’t available once they do so.”
One of the biggest resources students don’t take advantage of is the college and career center and district nights. They do not always understand that the application process itself is a difficult process.
“One of the biggest advantages students don’t take advantage of is just having some help with the college application itself,” Indelicato said. “There’s so many opportunities even if you don’t want to go to a particular college. It is a very difficult process. And the application itself is difficult to understand. So I would say that’s under utilized because students really don’t understand how it integrates within you into college and that everybody has that opportunity if they at least apply.”
The counselors chose to counselors because they wanted to help students. Even if yours may be unavailable, there is always someone else available in their place. The relationship between students and their counselor is important especially when navigating life inside of school.
“I think it’s just opening up both ways,” Indelicato said. “You know, I try to share my life and my experiences just in this role within the last year of what I experienced when my daughter went through the college process and sharing her sometimes good things, sometimes bad things. I think that makes us human, it shows that we are working and hopefully it connects with the student. Just like students have a backpack or baggage when they come into the building, there’s so many teachers and counselors and administrators that have baggage as well. So they’re just trying to juggle everything they can. It’s a balancing act.”
