IN MY OPINION, school counselors are pretty much the unsung heroes of public education. There are numerous factors that come into play when considering what impacts student achievement. While classroom teachers rightfully get much of the credit with student success in school, counselors play a huge role in the learning process.

Generally speaking, school counselors help students evaluate their abilities, interests, talents, and personality characteristics in order to develop realistic academic and career goals. The role of the school counselor may vary from the elementary to the secondary school level.

Elementary counselors observe younger children during classroom and play activities and confer with their teachers and parents to evaluate the children's strengths, problems, or special needs. Counselors at elementary schools assess the well-being and emotionally stability of students to alleviate outside distractions that can have a negative impact on student learning at school.

When the need arises, elementary counselors will even make home visits to address an issue facing a child. With Las Vegas being such a vast melting pot with people moving here from all over the world, cultural differences can sometimes be an impediment or barrier to a student's education. Frequently elementary counselors will intercede to make a student and their family's adjustment easier.

High School counselors focus primarily on in-school academic and class scheduling matters. With urban area high schools in the Greater Las Vegas area exceeding 25-hundred students or more, it is essential that counselors help students stay on track with classes needed in order to graduate. They also facilitate testing requirements for students who are college bound.

The Southern Nevada School Counselors Association sponsors a major event each year to help students make post secondary educational decisions. College Fair Plus is held each year during October at Cashman Field. Over 200 universities, colleges and post-secondary institutions send representatives to serve as a resource for students interested in attending college.

As I've indicated previously, you can find Las Vegas graduates in attendance at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. Due in part to the outstanding support students receive in school from trained counselors who really care about what the future holds in store for our students.