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Guidance counselor lends students her ear
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Displaying the kind of smile that makes her so easy to talk to, Kelley Mills has been settling comfortably in her new office and position at Lynn Kirk.
By SARAH FOOR
“What do you want to talk about today?”
It’s a simple question that many kids don’t get asked often, but Lynn Kirk’s new guidance counselor Kelley Mills is making it her mission to ask it every day.
During a normal day, Mills will ask her favorite question in individual and group counseling, for every issue from social skills to divorce.
However, she also likes to lead some conversations. In her position as guidance counselor for Lynn Kirk and Woodside elementary schools, she has become involved in parent groups and intervention assistance counseling, and also plans guidance classroom activities.
“I love helping to guide students any way I can, but my passion is reaching out to children who feel like they have no one else to talk to.” Mills shared. ”If they’re having an issue at home, I work hard to create a safe space for them to share their feelings.”
Mills, a Colliers, W.Va., transplant with two master’s degrees, was lucky to gain her position after working under Lynn Kirk’s former guidance counselor during an internship.
“I’m definitely not taking my luck for granted,” Mills said. “During my time here, I hope to build our guidance program and bring more interaction with the classrooms. I also don’t want to have to only intervene when there’s a crisis. I hope that a lot more preventative counseling will help the kids that need it.”