If there’s anything the IB program has been needing, it’s a guidance counselor. Guidance counselors are vital for a student’s college process assisting them with recommendation letters, the Common App, transcripts and career choices. IB’s previous guidance counselor, Leslie Morter, left last December leaving many seniors in need of assistance and juniors confused about the college application process in general. Although our IB coordinator, Erin Quinn, did her best to fill some of the duties of the guidance counselor; Robinson is incredibly happy (and relieved!) to welcome our new IB guidance counselor, Morgan Reinhart.
Reinhart moved to Florida in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, following an unexpected opportunity to relocate with her cousins. She had always dreamed of living in Florida but thought it would happen much later in life. Once she moved, more of her family, including her grandparents, mother and four of her five brothers, also relocated to Florida.
“When visiting Florida, I just fell in love with it and the sunshine. Moving to Florida was a dream of mine since probably high school, one that I never thought would probably happen until retirement, but the pieces just kind of fell into place and it all aligned,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart hails from New Jersey, where she earned her master’s degree in school counseling. Initially unsure about her career path, she began substitute teaching at a high school and discovered a passion for working with students. While she originally considered teaching, she ultimately decided to pursue counseling. She has been a school counselor for five years, primarily at the elementary level, and is now transitioning to working with high school students.
“To be honest I was not 100% sure about what I was going to do, then I started substitute teaching in a high school and just fell in love with working with students. The connection with the kids is really what makes that job,” Reinhart said. “Even on the hardest, most stressful days, they always made it worth it. So I loved it. I love working with kids, but I was ready for something different and something closer to home.”
Although this is her first time working with the IB program, she is eager to learn and provide strong support to students. She recognizes the rigor of the IB curriculum and plans to rely on experienced faculty and past counselors to help guide her in the role. Reinhart acknowledges the numerous challenges students face, including academic stress, extracurricular commitments and college applications. To assist with this, she intends to implement a structured approach, breaking down tasks into manageable steps and encouraging students to seek guidance when needed. She also is holding one-on-one meetings with rising seniors starting in March to discuss their goals.
“That’s always the key in the beginning is really just building those relationships and learning the role and immersing myself as much as I can to be the best support for you guys. There will be times when the answer to the question is ‘I don’t know but let me find out’ and I will do my best to help,” Reinhart said.
Additionally, Reinhart advocates the benefits of having an open mindset when dealing with external pressures.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Failures, mistakes, rejections are all sadly going to happen. But it’s all part of life. Sometimes you need to look at that big picture and not waste too much energy and time on the factors you can’t control when there’s so much greatness out there,” Reinhart said.
Although the traditional guidance counselor can be seen as primarily a scheduler, Reinhart treats her role as much more.
“I don’t want to be only seen as the scheduler or the letter of recommendation writer, I want you guys to think of me as a counselor first, and then help with college second. Support your well-being because that’s key. We’re people first, so I want to be there to support you guys as humans and your emotional well-being as well,” Reinhart said.
Along with providing her own services, Reinhart emphasized the importance of a support system in the IB program.
“And I think the real important thing to remember is yes, it’s stressful, it can be a lot, but you are not going through it alone. You have a whole school of people who support you. You’re in this program for a reason, because you’re capable, because you can juggle all this, but you have to lean on supports,” Reinhart said. “Even as adults, we have to lean on other people for support. So if you need to cry, if you need to talk, you need to scream. My door is open. Come on down. And take advantage, OK?”
