Esmeralda Ruiz sat with her mentor, Patricia Garcia, in their quiet and calm office and went over the plan for the day.
Garcia’s office inside Ella Barnes Elementary School serves as the home base for Garcia and Ruiz, an intern counselor in the district, though the duo is often seen throughout the school.
Ruiz, a TAMU-CC student, is no stranger to Barnes, as her kids attend the same school.
“It’s been such a beautiful experience,” Ruiz said about her time as an intern counselor. “I have a supervisor that is so welcoming. She has given me a step-by-step of the ins and outs of counseling.”
The district currently has 16 students completing their School Counseling Practicum requirements. Seven of those interns have university-issued intern certification that allows them to work full-time as a school counselor, said Leigh O’Neal, Coordinator for Counseling & Support Services.
For Ruiz, the experience has been an opportunity to put what she’s learning into practice.
Her enthusiasm was on display recently during College, Career and Military Readiness Week. To execute the Counselor Café the way they envisioned, the duo knew it would take a lot of time and energy and could get a little messy.
“Her response was ‘OK! Let’s do it’,” said Garcia, who has been with CCISD for more than 20 years. “To see the look on the kids’ faces makes it worth it. It was nice to have somebody here ready to take those risks and those leaps.”
One of the things Ruiz enjoys most about being a counselor is that every day is different. One day could be spent helping students and parents get the resources they need, while another could involve teaching lessons to students or learning the legal aspects of counseling.
“It’s been such a joy to work with her,” Ruiz said. “All the tasks are also fun. It has all been extremely fun.”
Though school has only been in session for a few months, Ruiz has already built relationships with Barnes students. Students often look forward to seeing her in the hallways and greet her excitedly, Ruiz said.
“Our practicum and internship program helps develop the next generation of school counselors, strengthens our university partnerships and builds a pipeline of qualified candidates for future CCISD counseling positions,” O’Neal said.