President’s Letter: Small…but Awesome

On a beautiful fall day in mid-October, the Rhode Island School Counselor Association celebrated its fall conference (see photos below). Russ Sabella shared a wonderful keynote address and counselors attended many worthwhile breakout sessions. It was a great day to learn and take part in professional development that was carefully designed for our school counselors.
 
Throughout the day, I watched as counselors socialized with others from around the state. There were smiles and hugs and a genuine excitement to be sharing this time with one another. We might be the smallest counselor association, in the smallest state, but we are an awesome group of professionals. Eager to learn, willing to share, excited to make our counseling practice even better. As president of RISCA, I have tremendous pride in our association and all of its members.
 
We have accomplished great things over this past year. We have increased membership, welcoming new members including many graduate students. For the first time, a counselor fellow position was created at the Rhode Island Department of Education, and we have a RISCA past president in that position. We have met with the governor’s office to advocate for elementary school counselors and the need for lower student-to-school-counselor ratios. We might be small, but we are awesome!
 
As 2019 quickly approaches, your RISCA board will continue to work diligently to create opportunities for learning and advocacy. We encourage some of our new members and graduate students to become more involved with their association. Join us at a board meeting, help out at our conference or maybe simply share ideas on our Facebook page.
 
I look forward to the coming New Year and all that it brings.
 
Contact Lori J. LeBrun, RISCA president, at lebrunlori@coventryschools.net.
 
Soaring to New Heights: 2018 Fall Conference Highlights