An Advocate for Students: MMACHS Welcomes Mental Health Counselor
By Jenna Arnesen & Oryeanna Wright
As Ms. Cara Schmidt traveled from Idaho to New York and back, volunteered in Teach for America and worked as a teacher and counselor in West Ada, she gained many experiences and moments that allowed her to learn and grow. Now she has decided to make another meaningful memory here at MMACHS as our new mental health counselor.
After growing up in Nampa and earning her bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University, Ms. Schmidt wanted to volunteer with AmeriCorps and teach in New York City-through Teach for America. In 2003 she joined Teach for America, a program that recruits top students across the country to teach in undeserved schools. After going through vigorous interviews, Ms. Schmidt was accepted as one of 2,000 applicants.
“The mission of Teach for America is to be able to help level the playing field so that one day all children will be able to succeed in school,” Ms. Schmidt explained.
Ms. Schmidt was recruited after gaining her undergraduate degree and positioned in the Bronx in 2003. After graduating from Nampa High School, she experienced culture shock when she moved to teach at a public school in the Bronx, New York. She saw many challenges that are not here in Idaho.
For example, her students were practicing for a state test, and there was a question about sitting around a campfire. Some students raised their hands and had to ask her what a campfire was. Because of their living situation in the city, some of them had never gone camping or seen a campfire.
She stated that only five of the sixty students had ever left the Bronx. She had the opportunity to take 60 students on a field trip to the Statue of Liberty. Even though they had all lived eleven miles away, only one had ever been there before to see it in person.
This proved an eye-opener for her and showed her how not everybody has equal opportunity or resources. The experience fuels her compassion and love for connection.
Ms. Schmidt brings what she has learned from her time in the Bronx to MMACHS. As our new mental health counselor, she says that by the end of the year she wants “every student in this building to know who I am as a new counselor, and truly and honestly feels comfortable walking in through the door and knows this is a safe space. That I am here as an advocate and I'm here to help and support.”
She acknowledges the stress and pressure that is put on the students here and wants us to be able to reduce some of it. She reminds us that we are still in high school and we should enjoy life. She stressed how important it is for us to take care of ourselves, and to balance our life in healthy ways that won’t put too much on our shoulders.
Ms. Schmidt suggested that she wants MMACHS students to find and pursue their own interests and help us balance our school life.
When she’s not working at MMACHS, Ms. Schmidt enjoys doing things outdoors. She currently likes making mosaics and gifting them to people, as well as practicing mindfulness.
Ultimately, Ms. Schmidt is very excited to be here and get to know every single student on a deeper level. She is a hard-worker and strives to be the counselor that makes everyone feel appreciated and loved. She will use what she learned in New York and working in West Ada to be what the students at MMACHS need. Next time you see her walking down the hallway, give her a wave and make some small chat. She is always ready to talk and engage with others.
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