You’re never in trouble when you’re in the counseling office. Johnson High School counselor Desiree Meza and her fellow counselors take great pride in that mantra. You can feel it as soon as you walk through the doors of the Counseling Office.
“We see kids who want to talk about their schedule, course selections and college planning,” said Meza. “And then there’s all of the one-on-one and group counseling over everything from stress and anxiety to breakups or family challenges. Every day is different. You never know what’s going to walk through the door.”
When Meza joined the Johnson counseling team in 2014, it was a bit like a dream come true. She grew up in North East ISD attending Northern Hills Elementary School, Garner Middle School and Madison High School. The Johnson community is near and dear to her heart because it’s the place she calls home.
“Johnson was my dream school. I’ll never forget the phone call from Mr. Mehlbrech, who was principal at the time, asking if I wanted to be a Jaguar. I was so over-the-moon excited to come here. I knew the parents and the kids in my neighborhood so I wanted to directly serve the people in my community.”
High school students endure an incredible amount of change between their freshman and senior years. They must also make several big decisions, including what college, career, military or trade path they’ll take after graduation. Meza is there to help with that and just about anything else her students need when they walk in the door.
If Meza is your counselor, she’s “your person” and advocate on campus regardless of the day, hour or scenario. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I really enjoy those conversations and getting to know the kids better and seeing how we can best support them as a team,” said Meza. “When you’re with these kids from ninth through 12th grade, you’re really seeing them grow up. I like getting to know them and seeing how they change over the years and helping them plan for the future. Seeing the growth in the kids is my favorite part.”
Feb. 7-11 is recognized as National School Counseling Week, to focus attention on the unique contribution of school counselors and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do.
Join us in thanking Desiree and all North East ISD counselors for all they do for our students.
