Published on: Thursday, February 16, 2012

By Caitlin Johnston

School counselor Triana Hayes knows every student at Croom Vocational High School by name. She can tell by the way they walk through the doors in the morning if they’re having a good or a bad day.

Hayes is one of 351 professional school counselors in Prince George’s County Public Schools. The school system honored these counselors during National School Counselors Week from Feb. 7-11.

The week, organized by the American School Counseling Association, originated from the desire to celebrate the work school counselors do and to raise awareness about the broad scope of their jobs, said Elizabeth Sessoms, supervisor of counseling for PGCPS.

“Our counselors are awesome,” Sessoms said. “I can say that because I’ve been in the schools, and I’ve seen them work. They’re actually interacting with the students.”

That interaction is key to the changing role of counselors, Sessoms said. Counselors are no longer simply counting how many children they see a day. Instead, counseling is becoming more data driven, just like everything else. Now, counselors can monitor how effective their programs are and make needed adjustments along the way.

“We want to change the stigma around counselors,” Sessoms said. “It’s really about how are children different as a result of the work you’ve done.”

Stepphon Jackson, 39, of Upper Marlboro, said she sees the changes in her son, Diamonte, 17, as a result of his time at Croom Vocational High School and his work with Hayes.

“She is like the best, the best professional counselor in Prince George’s County schools,” Jackson said. “Miss Hayes does everything these children need to succeed. She anticipates their needs before they even know them.”

It’s the little things, like greeting the kids with a smile, that make a difference, Jackson said.

Hayes’ office is lined with inspirational quotes, Obama posters and two bulletin boards filled with pictures of students. The chairs in front of her desk seat a mixture of students, teachers and parents throughout the day. It’s her sixth year at Croom and her 15th working as a counselor. She said students are often surprised when she knows their name.

“Because that’s what I’m here to do,” she said. “To know who you are and how you’re doing and how you’re feeling and how we’re going to make it through this day together.”

Working as a counselor requires her to be a liaison between parents, students and teachers. While teachers notice when a student isn’t performing, it’s a counselor’s duty to find out why, Hayes said.

“I think I’m here to listen to people, to see all sides and to see if I can make a difference,” she said. “Counselors, we focus on the whole student, not just the academics.”

Croom held a ceremony Friday, the last day of National School Counselors Week, to celebrate those students who achieved perfect attendance and made the honor roll. Parents and students sported stickers with a red heart followed by “My School Counselor” as they filled the chairs in the gymnasium.

Announcing the students being honored, Hayes had something personal to say about each of them.

“He’s always smiling really big in the hallways and knows the importance of academics,” Hayes said as Diamonte approached the podium for his certificate.

As Diamonte took his seat in the back row, he beamed down at the certificate. He struggled to pass classes at his former school, and now he is on the honor roll. Hayes, he said, is a big part of that.

“She knows everyone in the school,” he said. “And she’s gonna try to help you if she can.”