Who inspires you to dream big? For many at George F. Baker High School it is counselor Christine Oliva. Oliva is one of 120,000 school counselors across the nation being honored this week by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). At the start of each February, ‘National School Counseling Week’ puts the spotlight on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. The 2023 theme is ‘School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big,’ something Oliva has been doing at GFB for the past 23 years.
“It’s not just the students at GFB & GGM who are here to learn and have fun,” says Oliva. As a counselor, I have the opportunity to learn from students in new and unexpected ways each day!”
From college planning to career aspirations, Oliva has a tremendous impact in helping students achieve school success and ‘dream big.’ “I often catch myself saying, ‘my school’ or ‘my kids’ when I talk about their achievements. Im so proud of the students here.”
It’s safe to say that Oliva has achieved her own big dreams. “My line I repeat to everyone about my job is ‘they pay for me for this?’
Thank you Ms. Oliva for all you do, this week and every week.