Mrs. Leah Borden is a guidance counselor here at MMS. She works with all grades but focuses on a single class during their time at the middle school. This is her third and final year with the eighth-grade class, and next year she will rotate back to sixth.

Mrs. Borden said that she loves the Middle school and the students as well as her profession as a school counselor.

Mrs. Borden went to Akron University for four years and to Ohio State University for two, where she earned a degree to be a school counselor. She has been a counselor for for eleven years. Whether she be helping a new student or attending a meeting, she is always on a new schedule. “I love how no day is ever the same. Something new is always happening,” says Mrs. Borden.

But even though she loves her career, there are a few challenges. Mrs. Borden says, “Well, there are things that could get in the way. Paperwork and meetings are definitely things that could stop me from helping kids directly.” But Mrs. Borden makes up the time she misses with students.

One of Mrs. Borden’s goals as a counselor is to get students to like school. She says, “Trying to encourage students to have an interest in school is one of the hardest things I have accomplished in my career as a school counselor.”

She also believes that activities can also make school fun. One activity that Mrs. Borden oversees is a a girls’ leadership club called ROX, which stands for Ruling Our eXperiences.

When Mrs. Borden was a student, she played as a hitter in volleyball as well as a pitcher in softball.  She said her role as an athlete made her feel better about any situation that she was in. She wants students to find things like sports or activities that make school a positive experience.

Mrs. Borden tries to be there for students by listening to them and helping them through any problem. She states, “I believe I show leadership by just advocating for kids. Just being there can make people feel better.” Mrs. Borden thinks that every counselor should be supportive and listen to students, no matter whom the student is. An important job of  counselor is, she says, just being approachable. “Kids need to know that they can just come to me or any counselor and talk about something that bothers them. Or just to get something off their chest.”