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EDITOR’S NOTE: This week is National School Counseling Week. In recognition, the LDN is writing stories on local school counselors.

Growing up, how often did you see your school counselor?

LaGrange High School’s Britany McQueen said she didn’t see her school counselor until her senior year, and she felt it impacted her life. That led to her decision to become a guidance counselor.

“To be honest, I didn’t have a good high school counselor. I wasn’t prepared for life after high school. Even though I went straight into college, I still had no idea what to do. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a high school counselor to help get students to be prepared for whatever they want to do after they graduate,” McQueen said. “I think if I had known my high school counselor, I would have had that guidance to know what I wanted to do after school.”

As a counselor for LHS, McQueen said she gives the guidance that she feels some schools might not provide.

“Initially, I wanted to be a pediatrician because I always knew I wanted to work with kids. It wasn’t until I was attending Columbus State that they told me they didn’t offer a pediatrician track. I switched gears to early childhood education,” McQueen said.

McQueen said the best part of being a counselor is seeing how she has positively impacted her students.

“In my first two years as a school counselor at Manchester High School — I guess they didn’t have a counselor that cared or did the things I did but just listening to the students and parents and other teachers telling me how good of a job I was doing and how I impacted them was rewarding,” McQueen said. “The two years I was there, it would always brighten up my day getting good feedback from the students, the teachers and the parents.”

If she wasn’t a school counselor, McQueen said she would be doing something in social work or she’d be in a profession that involves helping children.

“I have a soft spot for kids and would always want to do something that will either help them or guide them in a positive direction,” McQueen said.

When she’s not in school, McQueen likes to work out, stream her favorite shows and relax.