With every new school year, comes new members of the Hampton Bays High School Staff. This year, we have a new guidance counselor, Ms. Soury. It is especially important in 2020 to be connected to one another and have a teacher to go to, which is often our guidance counselor whether that be for help with school or our future. 

     Her passion for wanting to become a counselor started when she realized that was her grandmother’s line of work also. “I realized I wanted to help people, but didn’t really know where to start or how to do that,” said Ms. Soury. Guidance counselors quite literally guide students in the direction of life they want to pursue and make sure they are given every opportunity to do so.

     This is Ms. Soury’s first counseling job. “Prior to this, I interned as a guidance counselor at Half Hollow Hills High School East, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, and Deauville Gardens East Elementary School in Copiague.” 

     Ms.Soury chose Hampton Bays High School due to its feeling of “home” that she felt when she came here. This school radiates the feeling of being a united community, which is especially important during these troubling times of the coronavirus pandemic. She loved the feeling of mutual support for everyone, the staff, and members here at the school, and the students with what they had of the offer. 

Ms. Soury definitely didn’t imagine her first year counseling would be during a global pandemic. The ability to communicate is harder  because of the mandates to maintain six feet of separation and to wear a mask. The fact that many students also don’t come to school in person also makes her job more challenging. “I definitely expected this year to be a little more difficult than it would have been under normal circumstances,” said Ms. Soury. “Regardless, I am happy with what I am doing and happy to be here.”

“One goal I have for this school year is to create a good foundation with all of my students, so they feel comfortable and know that they always have someone who is there for them and has their back. I never understood when I would hear people say that they have never met their guidance counselor. This will not be the case for my students! Another goal of mine is to go back to school to get my Certification in College and Career Counseling. Although we get this preparation in school counselor programs, I would like to further my skill set.” 

     Ms. Soury said “Keeping students engaged, and making sure they are keeping up with school,” is going to be a challenge this year. Another challenge we will face this year is evaluating and checking up on the emotional stability of students. It isn’t as easy to communicate with your guidance counselors, but as Ms. Soury said, “I hope they know that I am always here if they want to speak with someone.”