Diana Virgil, ACSC
School Counselor
Daleville High School
Daleville, Ala.

 

 

I Am ASCA

Why are you a member of ASCA?
Being a member of ASCA means being a part of a community of school counselors who share the same passion for school counseling as I do. The networking, resources and mentoring are vital parts of my continuous membership. 

What inspires you about being a school counselor? 
Being able to plant seeds in my students’ lives. As school counselors, we might not see the immediate outcome for our students. However, when we do, it’s priceless. 

What makes you unique as a school counselor?
I love data, creativity, making people laugh and my southern accent.

What words do you live by? 
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ― Maya Angelou 

What would you be doing if you weren't a school counselor?        
Wedding planner        

When and why did you know you wanted to pursue a career in school counseling?
I took a psychology course in college and felt stress free for the first time in my undergraduate studies. After talking with one of my favorite professors, helping my military buddies apply for college and praying, I decided being a school counselor was a part of my journey while on this Earth. 

What do you do when you need inspiration to tackle another day working on behalf of your students?
I talk to my close colleagues, do a bunch of self-care and read all cards and letters students have been given me throughout the years.           

What's your favorite thing about being a school counselor?          
I love being my students’ cheerleader.          

Why is it important for you to be part of a community of school counselors working together for the benefit of all students?
When you are working toward the goal of bettering yourself for your students, your students win. The networking you receive at ASCA helps you have access to resources and people you otherwise would have never known about or met. 

What do you do when you need to decompress/eliminate stress/refuel for the next day?
I love music. Listening to some ’90s R&B while driving home always puts me in a relaxing mood. Other things I may do is get a massage, journal, workout or sit on the patio and listen to nature. 

Why are you an ASCA-Certified School Counselor?
Since becoming an ASCA-Certified School Counselor, I have been able to network more, connect with like-minded individuals and have more leverage when advocating about the profession. The certification has opened doors for more opportunities throughout the profession.

Share an example of something important you learned from one of your students.
Resilience. I had a student who lost her mother and brother in a car accident, was homeless and became pregnant all within three months. Instead of her giving up and throwing in the towel, she pushed on. When I checked on her one day, she told me the quote from Maya Angelou: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” From that day, that quote became my favorite. Everything that was going on in my life, from trying to have a child for six-plus years, finding my footing in the school counseling world, etc., were events that I shouldn’t allow to reduce me. From there, I learned resilience.