In a recent interview with Mrs. Cook, she explained a little bit more of her background and her experience so far here at Burton. When asked when and why she decided to become a guidance counselor, she had this to say: "I thought of myself at an early age as a natural- born helper, and I decided in high school that being a guidance counselor was the best path to take in being that helper." As for her education, she received her B.A. (Bachelor of the Arts) degree in K-4 teaching at UVA-Wise and later her M.A. (Master of the Arts) degree in counseling for K-12 at Virginia Tech. Despite what sounds like a very difficult course load, Mrs. Cook said that it "...was not very difficult at all...," consisting of "...mainly papers, small group counseling practices, one on one counseling, and interviews; overall, it was just busy work."
When asked how she got this job, her response was simple: "Mr.Williams called and asked if I would like to apply for the new guidance counselor position that just opened up, and then I applied through Norton City Schools and got the job." As for why she chose to work at Burton, she said that ". . . the school has a smaller enrollment, assistance in the guidance office (Mrs. Marshia), and most importantly, a contract that will allow me to spend more time with my family, which was the major selling point for me." Mrs. Marshia's assistance in guidance was also one of her reasons why Burton is different from other places Mrs. Cook has worked at, along with the block schedule structure and the dual enrollment program. She has said that it "has been very stressful coming into Norton City Schools so early, but I believe that there are always doors that open for a reason and students that need some assistance." Mrs. Cook said, "Mrs. Marshia has been the biggest help in getting through this stressful time as she has been very patient with me and has taught me the software and curriculum of the school, which is different from the other schools I have worked at."
Mrs.Cook describes her typical workday at Burton as "...answering the phone, sending transcripts to colleges, dealing with dual-enrollment and high school course scheduling issues, reminding and preparing students for SOL and SAT/ACT testing, reminding seniors of scholarships, and providing individual counseling."
Lastly, Mrs. cook discussed how she deals with individual student problems. She said that she deals with each problem in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. Our new counselor wants "...each and every student to feel that I am a trustworthy person to come to in times of trouble." Mrs. Cook's advice for anyone who aspires to become a guidance counselor is to be prepared to wear many hats; you must be able to handle problems outside of talking to students. Mrs. Cook would like to thank the students and staff for being helpful, caring, and inviting to her in her first year at John I. Burton.