Maryville High School counselors follow the guidelines defined by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) as well as the Tennessee Department of Education's School Counseling Model and Standards Policy. Per ASCA's Professional Standards and Competencies, our job is divided into 3 main domains: academic, career, and social/emotional. We all have master's degrees in counseling, which means our training is very similar to that of a mental health counselor; we chose to specialize in the school realm. We all have a passion for connecting with students and we look forward to fostering positive relationships with our student body.
Academic
Students are assigned to school counselors according to the student's last name. Counselors will walk alongside students throughout their tenure at MHS and provide guidance in areas such as four-year planning, graduation progression, course placement, and standardized testing.
Last names A - D
Last names E - K
Last names L - Q
Last names R - Z
Social & Emotional
All social emotional student concerns should be directed to the child's assigned alphabetical counselor. Once the school counselor meets with the student, she may determine that additional support is needed. Kristen Kessler serves as our social emotional learning counselor. She meets with students in on going capacity to address acute concerns. Ken Dugger acts as our behavioral liaison and provides support with classroom behavioral concerns.
College & Career
Our hope is that all students will graduate from MHS with a personal, solidified plan for life after high school. Our career exploration curriculum at MHS will assist students in identifying career paths based on interests and aptitudes. Wes Lambert, our Ready Graduate Coordinator, will work with students who may need additional support cultivating a post secondary focus.
Registrar
The guidance registrar, Rhonda Elkins, and administrative assistant, Sara Coon, provide support to students and families utilizing the services of the school counseling office. Their tasks include enrolling new students, maintaining student records, sending transcripts to colleges and other institutions and ensuring accuracy in student files.
