President's Letter: Motivation and Connection

Peace and blessings, ArSCA! Dr. Martin L. King Jr. said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” This was a quote from a speech Dr. King gave in 1948 at Morehouse College. These words are very relevant today as they relate to our role as school counselors to help guide students to their highest potential for their future.

This month’s focus is connecting to careers. According to US News and World Reports, the top 10 careers are: software developer, nurse practitioner, medical/health manager, physician assistant, security analyst, physical therapist, financial manager, IT manager and dentist. I was excited to see that school counselor made the list of careers at #59. Although we were mid-ranked, it is encouraging to see that our profession is valued, because we are instrumental in helping students become the top 10 professionals. Let’s try our best to stay motivated through our struggles and remember to take care of our well-being. I know with the increased aggressive behaviors that we see daily can be disheartening. However, let’s remember how blessed we are to have a career where we are able to make a difference in people’s lives. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to work on my positivity and reflect on the aspects of my counseling career for which I am thankful. I challenge you, as well, to create a New Year’s resolution for school counseling! We’ve got this!

One of ArSCA’s Platinum Sponsors, United States Army Recruiting Command, supports students on their journey to a successful career. Dr. Carla Wood is an Education Specialist for the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion in Oklahoma City. Her professional career has been dedicated to providing exposure to educational opportunities to a wide range of students and their families/support systems from the east coast to the west coast. She can help school counselors connect students to careers in the Army and learn valuable lifelong skills. If you are interested in more information about the United States Army Recruiting Command, please contact me and I will forward Dr. Wood’s contact information to you. Thank you, Dr. Carla Wood and USARC for your commitment to ArSCA and students!

Please remember to save the date for ArSCA Conference 2024: June 24–26. This will be your opportunity to earn valuable professional development, gain resources from vendors and exhibitors, and network and enjoy fellowship with school counselors from all over Arkansas. Most important, you’ll have fun!

The theme for this summer is “Our Stage…Our Story” (thank you to Linda Whiteside, ArSCA Ethics chair, for helping me decide on the 2024 conference theme). Our keynote speakers for this summer are amazing and they will help motivate us to tell our story. I will announce and share information on the Listserv and in the next newsletter about the speakers and give conference updates. You will not want to miss ArSCA’s 2024 summer conference!

Have a wonderful week, Arkansas school counselors.

Contact Kelli Dockery, ArSCA president, at kdockery@bryantschools.org.