This school year, Arcadia High School (AHS) has welcomed several new staff members to our school. One new staff member is Ms. Erricka Clarke, the College and Career Center counselor and an ELD counselor.
With a ten-year background in education and seven years of school counseling under her belt, Ms. Clarke brings experience to AHS’ counseling office. She has a master’s degree in school counseling and is currently working on furthering her skills by pursuing her educational doctorate at the University of Southern California (USC). At AHS, Ms. Clarke mainly works with students to prepare them for their post-secondary goals. She also works closely with students who are new to the school or the country, providing them with additional assistance.
“I really want to make sure all students feel supported,” she said.
Ms. Clarke started her career in education doing nonprofit work with an organization called College Bound, which brought together students and parents to provide lessons regarding college readiness. These lessons ranged from helping students write essays, learning how to complete applications, and looking at transcripts.
“That really inspired me and made me want to continue to support students,” said Ms. Clarke, reflecting on her time with the nonprofit organization. “I felt like the best way to do that would be to integrate myself in schools.”
Outside of teaching, Ms. Clarke enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading books for fun. As a very positive person, she strongly believes in the idea that everything happens for a reason.
“I truly believe that everything will always work out, even if in the middle of it you’re like ‘what is happening and why is this like this’— that’s a moment that will then lead to something else,” said Ms. Clarke.
When asked how her first few weeks at AHS were, Ms. Clarke said “it’s been busy, but I’m enjoying it”. She said that everyone’s been super supportive and that it has been fun to start engaging with students.
Ms. Clarke eagerly welcomes the students at AHS to participate in the events that the College and Career Center offer, such as the October college essay workshops, the daily college visits at lunch, and Zoom workshops.
