President's Letter: OSCA's Essential Support

Standing at the threshold of another school year, I, like many of my colleagues, feel the anticipation of the many hats school counselors wear as we strive to perform in a variety of capacities in our school districts. Passion for our profession and love for our students doesn’t always stave off the daunting feeling of weariness that interferes as the year wears on and situations arise. I had the privilege of attending the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) 2017 National Conference, their largest to date. I found the time I spent in Denver rejuvenating to my commitment and passion for our profession. With this commitment, I am honored to serve as president of the Oklahoma School Counselor Association (OSCA) and as we face the challenges of the year together, I hope to assist in providing you with the tools you need to rise to the occasion.
 
The OSCA board values its members and strives to unify our voices during a time when our school systems are vulnerable and our students are inundated with issues unforeseen by many of us. We recognize that school counselors serve multiple clients; from working with our impressionable students, we honor those parents’ rights, plus perform the duties as assigned by administration. The complexity of our profession is due to its volatile climate: it is a double-edged sword; what draws us to it can satisfy our longing to make a difference and at a moment’s notice render us heartbroken.
 
It is crucial for school counselors to have a network and OSCA membership holds many benefits including statewide networking and support, professional development, advocacy for school counselors, a professional partnership with ASCA and our biggest work in progress, legislative support. I invite you to visit our website, www.okschoolcounselor.org, to learn more about how you can become involved.
 
I am excited about the conference we are offering this fall on the NSU-Broken Arrow campus. Mark your calendars for November 2-3, 2017. We are honored to host two professionals whose expertise will enrich us as we seek to become more effective and efficient. Russ Sabella will help us become more innovative in our practice and increase our technology literacy. Trish Hatch returns to Oklahoma to provide the means to be data driven in a painless, more rewarding way. My predecessors in OSCA have shown great dedication to making our association a success, and I extend my gratitude for their support and encouragement.
 
In this new school year, I hope you seek to establish positive connections because this will set a tone for the year. I encourage you to learn about what OSCA and ASCA offer to help you do the best job you can for your students. The Oklahoma native and American novelist Ralph Waldo Ellison noted, “Education is all a matter of building bridges.” I’m confident that you will be building bridges!
 
Contact Michelle K. Taylor, Ed.D., LPC, OSCA president, at mtaylor@adairschools.org.