Anne Zinn
Postsecondary Success Counselor
Norwich Free Academy
Norwich, Conn.

I Am ASCA

Why are you an ASCA member? I’m an ASCA member for the community. School counseling in such a unique profession – one that not everyone always understands. I love being able to connect with other school counselors who inherently understand what I go through on a daily basis. 

What inspires you about being a school counselor? My students inspire me on a daily basis. Being a school counselor can be so challenging and exhausting sometimes, but my students keep me coming back every single day. The way they respond to challenges, accomplish their goals, surprise themselves with what they can do – it all reminds me that this job is so worth it. 

What words do you live by? “And One.” In basketball, it means you finished the shot through contact and got the two points, plus a shot at a free throw. The phrase reminds me I can accomplish hard things, even when facing challenges, and that the success is just that much sweeter at the end knowing I did it even though it was difficult. 

What would you be doing if you weren’t a school counselor? If I weren’t a school counselor, I would probably be a writer. I love processing emotions and experiences through writing, and it has also been an outlet for me.

When and why did you know you wanted to be a school counselor? I honestly didn’t know I wanted to be a school counselor until I was halfway through my graduate program. After finishing my bachelor’s in English, I really wasn’t sure what was next for me, so I pursued a master’s degree based on a suggestion from a mentor. I wasn’t convinced school counseling was for me until I stepped foot in a high school for my practicum. There, I would experience the resiliency of a student for the first time, I would watch a student get into the college of their dreams, and I felt the sheer joy of being someone’s cheerleader. I knew then that there wouldn’t be any other job for me. 

What brings you joy? I get so much joy from watching kids be kids – playing a game of pick-up basketball, getting into the competition of the pep rally, accomplishing something hard together, just enjoying each other’s company without the pressure of comparison or social media. 

What do you do to decompress/eliminate stress/refuel for the next day? I love to come after a long day to my couch, my cats and dinner with my husband. My cats are great snuggle buddies who just melt stress away, and my husband always knows how to make me laugh, even on the hardest days.