Despite being new to Westford Academy, counseling intern John Manning is no stranger to the field of education. Manning is currently enrolled in graduate school at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. After working in multiple different education-related occupations in New England, Manning is excited to be back at WA after graduating in 2011. According to Manning, he is also especially looking forward to new experiences and working with high school students as a counselor.
Q: How long have you been working in education?
A: I’ve been working in education for a little over 10 years. After I graduated college, I thought I would do acting work. Then it was funny, […] I ended up doing an educational show for kids. I brought it all over New England, and I found that I really enjoyed interacting with kids. So I continued to do theater work, but I also started working part time in schools. As I realized that I wanted to go the [education] route, I worked a couple of years for a middle school in Lowell. Then I worked at the Abbot Elementary School in Westford, and now I’m here as an intern at WA.
Q: As a counseling intern at Westford Academy, what are some of the responsibilities and jobs that you have?
A: I need to go to a site and work as an intern to be a licensed school counselor and finish my graduate degree. I’m here every day watching all the counselors work, and I’m learning from them. As I learn how they do the job, they give me opportunities to maybe try a skill on my own or lead something. So really, my main job here is to learn as much as I can so that someday I can be a good counselor.
Q: What compelled you to take this position as a counseling intern?
A: I had experience at elementary and middle schools, and I hadn’t really had a chance to work at the high school level. I thought for my internship, it’d be great to work at a high school.
Q: What qualities do you think are important for a school counselor to have, and out of those qualities, do you think any are specific to high school counselors?
A: There’s certainly a different set of skills high school counselors need to have. The first half of the [school] year for seniors is all about the college process and there’s so many little details involved in that such as financial aid and learning which schools are a good fit for which kids. I know the second half of the year is a lot more about helping kids with their scheduling and the goals we have for younger students. But right now, during the first half of the year, a big part of the counseling department is focused on college. I’ll just say too, schedule making is more complicated. It’s huge learning how to advise kids to sign up for which classes, and there’s not really that flexibility in middle and elementary school.
Q: Do you think that counselors can help students succeed, both academically and personally?
A: There’s kind of three main areas that counselors work in, and that’s helping kids academically, helping them with their social life, and helping them with future planning. So, a good counselor should be able to be effective in all three of those areas.
Q: When you were in school, did your counseling department help to influence you towards this kind of job in education?
A: I didn’t realize how much overlap there was. The thing I loved about acting was hearing someone else’s story, empathizing with it, and trying to understand them. So there’s a lot of common stuff between acting, [and] psychology and counseling. I have always been the person my friends will turn to for advice. People share things with me, they feel […] comfortable opening up to me. As I got a little older, I was like, “Wow, those [skills] fit counseling really well.”
Q: If you weren’t working in the counseling department specifically, would you still want to work in education?
A: I think so, yeah. What I did before this was math intervention, so I helped young kids who are struggling with math. I definitely think I would do something in the educational world with small groups of kids where I could help them grow.
Q: What is one thing that you really enjoy about working at WA?
A: I love the college process, it’s so interesting. I love [it] when kids come to you with their college essays because a lot of [the] time it’s about a really significant moment in their life, so as you help them edit their essay, you get to know them on a really deep level. I get to see who they are, and it’s really cool. I love talking to kids about their hopes and dreams and it’s just like a special space.
Q: If you had prior jobs before coming to Westford Academy, were they similar to the position that you hold currently?
A: Yeah, so when I was working in an elementary school helping kids struggling with math, a lot of times, the reason they were struggling was usually a social or emotional issue. They were nervous about math or they didn’t have a great view of themselves. I noticed that when I was helping kids with math, I was almost doing counseling on them, helping them grow their confidence and believe in themselves, or helping them handle nervousness when they have a test. I think my favorite part of my last job was being there for my kids, keeping up with their lives, and hearing their stories. The math was great too, but it was the counseling part of it that I enjoyed the most.
Q: Do you have any specific advice for students here at WA?
A: I know how intense this school is and I know a lot of the kids here are worried about succeeding and maybe going to college and what life’s going to be like after WA. I hear a lot of kids say, “what can I do that’s going to look impressive to a college?” and I really believe that if you just follow what you’re passionate about and what you really care about, the future will take care of itself. I think that if you’re doing things that make you passionate, you’re going to come across in a very exciting way. It’s going to come across in your writing and how you carry yourself, and I think that’ll be irresistible to people who are thinking about working with you in the future. If you do something that’s not true to yourself, everyone can kind of feel it.
Q: What do you hope to learn or gain from this position and the counseling department at WA?
A: I’m surrounded by really talented, skilled people, and I want to look at everyday as an opportunity to learn as much as I possibly can. Sometimes, I don’t even know what I need to learn. I’ll come in one day and the head counselor Lauren Clark will say, “Hey, I’m having a meeting about this,” and I’ll just jump in on that meeting and learn something. Or somebody will say, “Hey, I’m submitting documents to a college,” and I’ll go, “Can I sit with you?” and so the main thing I’m trying to do here is just learn as much of this job as possible.
Q: Outside of WA, what are some of your interests and hobbies besides working in education?
A: I still love acting. I’m a bit busy this year with school and everything, so I haven’t been able to do plays and such. I love theater and I love singing, and I’m a big podcast guy.