Help Within Hands Reach

Kaiser High School offers a range of in-school counselors who are available to help make your school year manageable. According to the Kaiser High School website, the counseling department, “supports the school’s vision of preparing students to be life-long learners in a multi-cultural and global society.” Being able to access resources that actively work to make your time as a student the best it can be is essential in preparing you for the future. Whether it’s for balancing daily stress, or finding a career that suits your interests, there is someone available to help.

Mental health is an important aspect of daily life that often gets overlooked. Whether or not we know it, having a healthy and stress-free mindset is part of what makes life enjoyable. When we’re struggling, though, it’s hard to get help. It can begin to feel like you’re alone. Reaching out seems almost impossible. Luckily, resources aren’t too far away.

Each grade level has its counselor that helps with a student’s needs. One major part of their job is to make sure you are on top of your classes, that way you can graduate successfully by the end of your senior year. Graduation marks the occasion when a student finally branches into the adult world. But without a completed high school education, that day will never come. The counselors at Kaiser will help you keep consistent grades through yearly meetings to discuss credits and other needs like electives, sports, or clubs.

However, their jobs go beyond academics. School is a stressful time, between homework, tests, and socializing. Everything can get pretty overwhelming. Speaking to one of the counselors helps take off a bit of the pressure. They can offer advice and provide simple tools to assist you. 

Students around Kaiser have shared their own experiences with stress and counseling. “Counseling helped make balancing school and life easier,” says one student. “I was able to sort through a lot of social stresses that made my education difficult.”

In times of crisis, like panic attacks, they aid in providing further help to find a causing factor. Sometimes, just knowing there is someone who can listen and provide the advice you’ll need can make a world of this.

College and career counseling is just as it sounds. Kaiser has two college/career counselors who dedicate their time to helping students prepare for their future. The endless fields of study, from history and language to thousands of types of arts, are so massive that narrowing them down feels impossible. Add to that the difficulty of finding a college that feels right is a long and complex process, not to mention incredibly expensive. Using their resources, they can provide you with opportunities to hear from colleges that interest you or scholarships to apply for.

“The college and career counselors are very helpful and extremely welcoming.” says Amelia Hamilton, a Kaiser senior. “They are more than willing to help you with any questions you have.”

Regardless of the need, Kaiser has resources that can help students be their best selves. For some, it could be finding a job they’ll shoot for in the near future. Others might have some hard feelings they need help sorting through. High school is a hard time for everyone, and thankfully, there are people willing and ready to provide much-needed help in a nearby environment.

During my sophomore and junior years, the access to in-school counseling has helped me better understand the different stressors affecting my school days. I was able to get access to strategies to help calm my anxiety in class without disrupting my lessons. It also helped me discover my career choice and college that I’ve strongly considered through websites like Naviance. 

To make an appointment, you can send an e-mail to your grade-level or college career counselor, or use one of the QR codes found in classrooms and around campus. For grade 9, contact Ms. Tottori; sophomores, Mr. Kawazoe. Juniors should contact Mrs. Ishii and seniors to Ms. Takashima. For college and career, refer to either Mr. Teraoka or Mrs. Kitagawa, depending on your surname (A-L last names to Mr. Teraoka, M-Z to Mrs. Kitagawa). In emergency situations, grade-level counselors can be found at the front office. College and career counselors can be found in H101.