TEMPLE, TX — Charlotte Hussey has been a school counselor with Temple ISD for 7 years.
She's always loved working with kids and says watching them succeed in school has been the ultimate reward for her work.
With the onset of the pandemic, Hussey saw her work increase as more students struggled daily.
She was there to step in and help.
"We have spent a lot of time since remote learning, since COVID just advocating for the students making sure they’re in the place to graduate on time with their peers," Hussey said.
The students come first in Hussey's eyes and since she's able to work with kids daily, she doesn't see her profession as a job.
"The kids are great, the parents are great, the teachers are great so it’s definitely not a job for me...it’s a passion," Hussey said.
One of those great kids is Haley Regula, a senior at Temple High School who has known Counselor Hussey since middle school.
"I spend a lot of time in this office and she’s always there just to talk about stuff even if it’s not school related she’s always encouraging me to do my work and stay on top of my school stuff," Regula said.
Regula is set to graduate and has already been accepted to college while receiving almost every scholarship she applied for.
Without Hussey, Regula doesn't know if she would be where she is today, academically.
"You have to find someone like that no matter where you are. Whether they’re right in front of you or you have to go look for them you have to have some sort of outlet like that," Regula said.
Counselors are seen as liaisons between any combination of student, parent, faculty member, teacher and more.
Wanting these kids to succeed, Hussey says the pandemic has brought more challenges on everyone, especially the students.
"Our response of services have definitely increased," Hussey said. "We’re seeing a lot more one to one counseling a lot more guidance planning to get these kids prepped for after high school."
There are 22 counselors serving more than 8,700 students at Temple ISD. Each one is advocating for the kids and keeping them on track for the future.
"No matter what grade or what age you are we are definitely here to help you and please we just encourage you to reach out to us and we will happily be there to support you every step of the way," Hussey said.
National School Counseling Week runs February 1-5.
