Education isn’t just a career path for Amber Irving – it’s a calling.
“I was always taught that education is a powerful thing, and I’m a true believer in that.”
Amber’s drive to make a difference has deep roots. Growing up in a family of teachers and counselors, there was never much doubt that her path would take her to the education field. As a counselor at Serna Elementary School, she gets to make a big-picture impact every day.
“As a counselor I get to work with the school as a whole,” said Amber. “That’s not just kids, that’s parents, community members and staff all working together to make this the best place it can be.”
Arriving at Serna two years ago was as close to love at first sight as it gets. It was also a reunion with principal Jennifer Lomas, who Amber worked with previously as a teacher at Las Lomas Elementary School. She loved her time in the classroom and was relieved to find that counseling and teaching have a lot in common.
“Counseling is still very much teaching – you’re just teaching different things. I’m still involved in the academic aspect while also making sure our kids are good as a whole, which includes those social and emotional skills.”
Between home visits, one-on-one time and working with groups of students, Amber seems to juggle obstacles with ease. She says it’s easy when the kids at Serna can fill her cup with a smile or a laugh.
“They get really excited about the smallest things and I just love that,” said Amber. “They make me laugh constantly and they are so eager to just explore and have conversations, and I love that about them.”
National School Counseling Week is Feb. 5 - 9. Please join us in celebrating all our counselors do for our students, staff and families #theNEISDway
If you want to let an NEISD counselor know how much he or she means to you, we’ve made it easy to send a Staff Shout Out!
