President’s Letter: MSCA’s Roots and Strengths

This is a special year for the Minnesota School Counselor Association: we celebrate 55 years as an organization. MSCA is passionate about leading, advocating, supporting, collaborating and empowering school counselors – and we have been doing it for 55 years. We have a strong history of supporting school counselors in Minnesota. True to Minnesota culture, MSCA was on the forefront of recognizing the importance of school counselors. Our organization’s progressive vision that all students benefit from having school counselors distinguish us as one of the few states with such a deep history.
 
As I consider the history of the Minnesota School Counselor Association, I am drawn to the analogy of a tree: The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. MSCA’s story is one of growth. Our organization may have started small and grown slowly; it may have weathered change and years of difficult setbacks. Yet we have endured – we have put down our roots, held our ground and grown stronger. Now instead of one tree, we have become a forest. Although trees within a forest may seem separate and individualistic, they are connected. Through their roots, trees create a network of connections to share resources with each other, send messages to each other and take care of each other. Being part of MSCA has showed me we can invest in our community by creating a network of professionals that allows us to grow and thrive. We may not have planted the seeds, but we have an obligation to support our organization as it continues to grow. In the words of Joanne Rapits, “Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” There is no doubt the strength of MSCA’s story will continue to grow and strengthen over time.
 
We are part of the MSCA story now – we stand together to continue paving the way for future school counselors in Minnesota. We will continue to work together toward our goal of having at least one school counselor in every school in Minnesota. And we look forward to another 55 years as an organization. We are MSCA.
 
Sarah Kortuem (president@mnschoolcounselors.org)