West Chicago Community High School staff welcomed new counselor Karina Ruiz from East Aurora High School earlier this year.
Ruiz never had a counselor growing up, and did not necessarily understand what the profession was until after college. Through non-profit work such as Big Brother, Big Sister and the Boys and Girls Club, she ended up working in schools, and finally set her foot into what would become her new career. She learned not only what a social worker was, but what a school counselor was.
“I really liked the idea that I was able to learn that school, instead of home, is a safe place for people, for some kids,” and continues to say, “I liked the idea of a school counselor being able to be that safe place or that safe person,” Ruiz said.
However, her journey did not involve a straight path. Ruiz originally went to college to become a Speech Pathologist—a doctor/therapist who specializes in helping people of any age with cognitive, swallowing, and pronunciation issues.
After two years in college, she switched her major, which surprised her parents, but she went on to enjoy those classes so much more.
According to Ruiz, sometimes counselors within schools are bestowed with undeserved “bad” reputations. Through social media, TV shows, and books, they are portrayed very negatively.
“We’re not gonna put you in detention or whatever it is, we just want to check in, make sure that you’re on track, doing good, and if you’re not, then what can we do to help get you there?” Ruiz said.
School counselors are not guidance counselors, however. They have three main domains: academic, career, and social-emotional. According to Ruiz, they do their best to fulfill students’ other needs, but it is important to remember to treat them with care.
That said, Ruiz has already impacted the building, and the students genuinely appreciate her.
“She’s a really good person to go to if you have any questions. I feel like during the presentation, she was really clear, and she helped us navigate around the college application process and other things we can do after high school,” senior Danais Gomez-Garcia said.
When not dealing with students at school, Ruiz has her kids to worry about at home. With a 5-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl, she is kept active around the house. Her actual downtime lies in reading psychological thrillers. Any book that catches her interest, she is sure to grab. Due to a busy schedule, she recently has been listening to audiobooks, which are just as good, but podcasts are also a close favorite.
As a new staff member, Ruiz is still getting used to how everything works around the building. Through managing PowerSchool and having meetings with countless students, she is still hoping to make changes of her own to better the school community. On September 15 Hispanic Heritage Month started up, and despite being new to the West Chicago community, she hopefully is able to add her own piece of the pie.
“I like that you guys have a super diverse population and it’s decent size….it gives me a little bit better chance to get to know and grow my relationships,” Ruiz said.
