Photo courtesy of Northeast High School Counselor, Juneall Lane

Adriauna Barger

Editorial Assistant

As students return to class this fall, Northeast High School Counselor Juneall Lane prepares to ensure they start the year off on the right foot — with confidence, support and a plan.

“As a school counselor, I’m really there to just assist students with anything related to academic, social, emotional and college and career development,” Lane said. “Everything from creating schedules to short term counselling to ACT tests, just kind of anything and everything.”

Whether students are walking into high school for the first time or heading into senior year, Lane said the right mindset makes a difference.

“They should go into the school year with an optimistic mindset,” she shared. “Just be willing to learn and take on anything that comes their way. Yes, they’re going to have challenges, but again having the mindset of ‘I can figure it out.’”

A strong school routine, she said, can help keep students grounded — especially as they juggle jobs, family responsibilities and after-school obligations.

“Maybe see a day or two just to see how the school year looks like it’s going to go,” Lane said. “Just having a routine, especially when it comes to studying things outside of school — dedicating certain times for certain things.”

“I know a lot of my students have part time jobs, they also help take care of home,” she continued. “Just trying to identify how much time those things will take up and trying to set aside time to dedicate to those things.”

Lane often advises students to study right after school instead of putting it off.

“One thing I always tell my students is that it’s easier if you go straight from school to home and knock out any homework, any studying that you need to do, because you’re already in that mindset of school,” Lane said.

When students start to struggle academically, Lane said that help is available — and it starts with communication.

“The first thing I always tell students to do is talk to their teacher,” she said. “For high school, and all the high schools in the district, we have an advisory. There are some social-emotional things that we do during advisory, but a lot of teachers are open to having students come back to their classroom during advisory just to give them some extra help.”

She added that many teachers are willing to stay after school, and there are official after-school tutoring sessions, mostly in math, as well as online homework help resources listed on the district’s website.

“Especially for those students who can’t stay after school, that’s just another resource,” said Lane.

For students feeling shy or disconnected from their school environment, Lane encourages them to seek out their “niche.”

“Get involved, but that involves high school as well,” Lane said. “Your high school experience will be so much better if you have something there that you enjoy and feel included in.”

“If you don’t see anything that meets your interests,” Lane added, “reach out to any teachers, especially counselors, because we have more of an idea of what’s going on around the building.”

Even if students struggle to build a friend group, Lane explains that connecting with adults can make a big difference.

“Even finding a teacher or staff member that you can connect with,” said Lane. “Just again, to feel that inclusion and that safety while you’re at school.”

Above all, Lane wants students to know their school counselors are there for more than just course enrollment inquiries and snacks.

“I wish they knew that we could do other things other than making changes to schedules and giving out snacks,” she said. “We’re there to support the whole student, not just the academic part of them.”