Callie Robertson joined the guidance staff at Northwood as an intern for the 2015-2016 school year. Robertson is currently a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying guidance education.
“I just really love the atmosphere [at Northwood] and how people really work together,” Robertson said.
Robertson spoke about the long-standing relationship faculty have with Northwood.
“[It’s] just a good feel,” Robertson said. “You know people have been here a long time and they really love this school. They really love the students. That’s pretty much the general impression I’ve gotten so far.”
Guidance counselor Telisa Hunter has taken on Robertson as her intern this school year, and Robertson has already observed her supervisor’s knack for the job.
“My supervisor is incredibly knowledgeable and talented,” Robertson said. “She is one of those people who just does really well multitasking. She gets things done in ways I just marvel at as an intern.”
Robertson was chosen through her outreach program to work at Northwood for a year, following the guidance counselors and counseling students herself to gain experience in the field. She plans to be a high school counselor after the program concludes. When asked where she would like to work in the future, Robertson expressed her desire to stay in-state.
“I am a North Carolina girl, so I would like to stay in North Carolina, but you never know where life will lead,” Robertson said.
Robertson has a dedication for her intended line of work, having experienced a wide variety of culture while studying in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico for three months at a time.
“I really loved how those two experiences really opened me up to learn a lot of other’s cultures and how to learn how certain high school kids have grown up differently than I have,” Robertson said. “I learned about myself, but I learned a lot about the world around me.”
Robertson worked with kids of all ages and backgrounds while in the two nations and spoke about its impact on her career choice.
“I would say that it made me even more so really desire to be a counselor, just because it gave me a desire to advocate for students from all backgrounds,” Robertson said.
– By Hunter Koch and Lara Summers