Unsung Heroes: Ms. Fox

Tiffany Liang, Staff Writer

It’s programming season, and throughout the stressful process of selecting classes for next year, most students easily forget about the counselors who make it all possible. Often behind the scenes, these counselors are the ones who are working extremely hard to ensure the success of students throughout their high school career.

According to Ms. Toni Fox, one of the counselors for the class of 2019, every day comes with a new challenge. “In the beginning of the year, we’re getting the classes set up, and everyday we’re dealing with emails from parents, students, and teachers. We write letters of recommendation. We get schedules set up for the next semester. And then there’s all of this programming stuff and different assemblies. So, everyday it’s something different.” Taking into consideration all the hard work that goes into being a counselor, one might assume the job would be quite difficult and stressful. While it undoubtedly involves plenty of effort, Ms. Fox believes it is completely worth it. “I like interacting with the kids. The time we’re in our offices, or when we have a chance to go inside the classroom, or at the COD desk when kids come up and ask questions, anything one on one with kids is really nice. You guys have really good energy, you have really good ideas, you’re really optimistic, and it makes me smile,” Ms. Fox says, demonstrating her passion for what she does.

While some aspects of the job may prove to be challenging, such as dealing with failing students, Ms. Fox willingly accepts the task. “Every time you guys get grades, we go through our list and call in the kids that are in trouble. That’s the idea if we want to get them back on track. We hate to see kids who aren’t doing well,” she explains, displaying her genuine concern and care about the students of AHS.

In light of everything counselors do for our school, it is difficult to imagine how our lives would be without them there. Whether we realize it or not, counselors like Ms. Fox are vital to the success of our high school experience. Without them, our classes would not be programmed, struggling students would have no support or advice, entering freshmen would be completely lost, and many students would make poor decisions that could negatively impact their future.

So, thank you so much for all that you do! We truly appreciate it.