The role of a school counselor is to support students’ academic, social, emotional, and
career development. Counselors also help students manage their behavior and plan for
the future. Being a school counselor is a job fraught with responsibility, and at Marietta
High School, that responsibility falls on the shoulders of two ladies: Tonya Bucher and
Thelesa Taylor.
“Our school counselors provide essential support to students facing social challenges,
academic pressures, mental health concerns, and even family difficulties,” said MHS
Principal Michael Oakley. “Their role is crucial in helping students navigate both their
educational journey and personal development.”
Being a high school counselor means wearing a lot of hats. Bucher, who began
teaching at Marietta Public Schools in 2015 and became a counselor in 2021, works
with juniors and seniors, and Taylor, who’s a little newer to the game – and to Marietta –
works with freshmen and sophomores.
Between the two of them, help make the master schedule of classes, complete
transcript checks to ensure students are on track for graduation, make class schedules
for students, input new student grades from previous schools, input grades from outside
agencies like vo-tech and college classes, schedule college and military visits, oversee
state-mandated testing, track credits to ensure students meet the state’s graduation
requirements, send transcripts for transferring and graduating students, and help older
students with concurrent college enrollment.
They also help students with post-secondary decisions like trade school, college, and
career planning. They coordinate with seniors to help make the most of scholarship
opportunities and schedule activities for seniors. And that’s not even close to a
comprehensive list of their duties.
They advocate for students and provide support in other ways, whether that is advising
about which classes to take or providing a listening ear when students have a personal
problem.
“It’s a lot,” said Bucher, “and it’s all the time. I like to think I help our students to the best
of my ability, whether that is emotionally, socially, helping them apply for college, or just
finding the right path for their lives. I guess I fall under the ‘jack of all trades, master of
none’ category,’ because my job looks different every day.”
Both counselors have prior teaching experience. For Bucher, it was in the
English/Language Arts classroom, and for Taylor in Music Education and the History
classroom, which gives them a deeper understanding not only of students and their
needs, but of classroom dynamics and the needs of teachers, too.
“I see my job as providing support not only to students, but to teachers, as well,” Bucher
explained. “Teachers generally have bonds with students that we don’t because we
don’t have as much time with them, so we want to help and support them in whatever
ways we can. Teachers do a lot and are busy, so I try to lighten the load for them.”
As for the tag-team approach to the job, the reasoning behind it is simple.
“High school counseling is a big job. There are so many requirements that must be
met,” stated Taylor. “And in addition to all those state requirements, it’s also a time when
a child’s life becomes much more difficult, and they must begin preparing to become
adults who will need to walk out into the world on their own.
“We are there to support them, help them understand the steps necessary, and help
guide them to the right decisions as they leave high school and begin their own lives.”
Although Bucher and Taylor do have a general division of responsibilities, there is cross-
over, and they help each other out when needed, making sure that what needs to be
done gets done.
“When there’s a need, we do what we can to help each other out,” Bucher commented.
“Anytime you’re talking about teenagers in a school environment, it’s usually a fluid
situation, and we just roll with it. We work together well.”
Both Bucher and Taylor entered the field because they believed it would offer the
opportunity to better advocate for students. And they both enjoy the relationships that
counseling allows them to build. So it would appear that this team is on the same page
in more than one way.
According to Principal Oakley, having two counselors allows the school to offer better
support for students.
“This division of responsibility ensures that each student receives adequate attention
and guidance,” he said. “Our counselors function as a team, collaborating to provide the
highest level of care and support for every student. By sharing the load, they can better
meet the diverse needs of our school community.”