What is your name, which degree did you earn, & what year did you graduate?

Hello! My name is Alexis and I graduated in 2015 with Master of Arts degree in School Counseling.

What is your current occupation or role?

I currently work as a High School Counselor at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, WA (about a half hour North of Seattle).

Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga?

When I was entering into my senior year of under-grad at WSU (Go Cougs!), I began to research the School of Education, and specifically Counselor Education, it immediately felt like where I was supposed to be. The emphasis on developing the whole individual spoke to my soul as I am, by nature, a very self-reflective and personal development geared learner.

What, or who, influenced you the most at Gonzaga? Please share as much as you are willing.

I am having a hard time being concise, but in the spirit of Type A personalities I will break it into a list and try to be brief.

  1. ADDY WISSEL! Okay, I have to be honest, I’m a total Addy fan-girl. The respect, appreciation, and gratitude I feel towards her exists on so many levels. She is a talented professor, dynamic advocate for change/growth, courageously humble, approachable, honest, silly, and just an all-around bad ass. I absolutely love her.
  2. My other professors- I remember feeling a heart-wrenching sadness the day I graduated knowing that I wouldn’t get to see them on a regular basis. Michelle, Paul, Mark, Lisa, Tom, Patty, Kirsten, Crump, Mona (I hope I haven’t missed any)- it is an honor to know you and to have learned from you.
  3. My cohort- My fellow peers became my family and helped shape me into the person and professional I am today.

What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga?

Self-care is not a luxury- it is a necessity.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging?

Most rewarding? Being not-needed. In other words, watching students grow and change to a point where they are able to accomplish things on their own that they either hadn’t done before or hadn’t known they could do.

Most challenging? As a Type A personality myself I am constantly working on taking on the unexpected (which there is a lot of) with a calm and grounded mindset. Because ultimately, it’s going to be okay.

What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field?

– Resiliency: Helping students practice finding things to look forward to and be hopeful for on a regular basis. Hope is so powerful and can be a game-changer in getting us through the hard days… hard days, weeks, seasons, etc.

– Embracing “failure”: What I want more than anything is for students is to recognize that taking risks are what make a full and colorful life. There seems to be such a debilitating fear of failure in this day and age and I would love for my students to see that boldness and effort can lead to failure but the important factor is that they are trying.

– Joy: Can we please also start teaching joy as a necessity in life and not a luxury?  Joy is often seen as a point that will come “Once we’ve achieved this…” or “Once we’re at this point…” Joy and gratitude are the greatest feelings and we tend to pass up opportunities for both because they are not typically priorities or seen as being possible “right now”.

What advice do you have for future education professionals?

Give yourself grace and try not to take things too seriously. I mean the messy stuff. Laugh at yourself, be genuine, be transparent, and know that everyone is just trying to do the best they can.