Her work:  Guidance counselor at Ashville High School.  It is the Leeds resident’s first job “straight out of grad school,” and she’ll begin her third year in the fall.

Did she ever want to do anything else?  “I never even thought about it.  My only decision was between teaching and counseling.  I was never rebellious as a young person, so I think the way I rebelled was by not becoming a librarian like my mom.”

A common misconception about her job:  “People think that I sit around and read books all day, and when a kid walks by, I talk to them about their feelings.  Counseling, which I wish I could do more of, is only a small part of it.”

What’s the rest of it?  “I have many different hats.  This summer, I’ll be working on students’ class schedules for the fall.  I plan all the awards days’ programs, and I deal with transcripts, school records, and testing.  I’m also the scholarship coordinator, which involves getting college reps in to speak and then getting the kids off to wherever they’re going.  Sometimes something might not be my job, but I take it on.  This job has made me more organized.”

The most challenging aspect of her job:  “Hearing stories – which are often very sad – about what’s going on in kids’ lives.  When I started, I did not know how many issues there are out there.”

Its most rewarding aspect:  “Helping the kids achieve their goals.  Seeing them on awards day about to head off to the college of their dreams is a big accomplishment for me.”

Something she finds frustrating:  “When kids barely pass a class and are content with that.  I was the kid who always had to have an A.  I don’t get why you would want to be average.”

On family and history:  “I grew up on 40 acres of land – the ninth generation to live on it – in a house full of antiques and old pictures that remind me of the great people who have gone before.  Family is a big deal to me, and it was instilled in me to learn about where you came from.”

Summer vacation:  She’s planning a trip to Boston later this month.  “I’m the nerd who wants to go somewhere to see all the historical things.”

The historical figure she’d most like to meet:   “Abraham Lincoln.  I took a class about his life and got to learn a lot of details about him you never hear about.  He was a good person.  He believed in values, and he did what he thought was right.”

How she describes herself:  “Very talkative.  Friendly.  I was voted ‘most friendly’ in high school.  I put 110 percent into everything I do.  Whatever it is, I’m there to get the job done.”

The best piece of advice she ever received:  “It came from my mom:  ‘It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a second to destroy it.’  I tell students that all the time, and I strive to keep my reputation as high as possible in my work and my life.”

More advice she gives students:  “Don’t try to be something you’re not.  Do what you think is right, and don’t try to fit into a particular crowd.  Do what you believe in.  People are always watching you to see what kind of person you’ll be.  You need to be proud of the person you’re known as when you leave high school.”