Melissa Millington
School Counselor
Ash Grove High School
Ash Grove, Mo.
I Am ASCA
![](/getmedia/700d1256-1bfb-421d-b482-de69feb91044/Melissa-Millington.jpg)
School Counselor
Ash Grove High School
Ash Grove, Mo.
Why are you an ASCA member? I’m an ASCA member because of the great networking and benefits you receive. The ASCA Member Community threads, the magazine, the professional development – all of it is just too great to pass up.
What inspires you about being a school counselor? Working with students and witnessing their breakthroughs, whether that is passing a class they struggled in, getting into their dream college, learning to employ personal coping skills to remain in class when feeling anxious or putting in the work to get sober. All of these are amazing accomplishments, and I love walking through life events with my students.
What’s a weird fact you know? The blob of toothpaste on top of your toothbrush is called a nurdle.
What words do you live by? “It matters not what one is born but what one grows to be” – Albus Dumbledore
What would you be doing if you weren’t a school counselor? A community-based therapist.
When and why did you know you wanted to be a school counselor? At first I thought I wanted to run my own therapy practice, but while I was in grad school my husband said, “Why don’t you be a school counselor? You’ll have more students to work with that way.” And the rest is history.
What brings you joy? Being with my family, my dogs and hearing about other people being happy.
What do you do to decompress/eliminate stress/refuel for the next day? Reading a book, watching a movie or taking a hot bath are my go-to self–care practices. I also love to-do lists, and I try to create one every day so I know what to prioritize moving forward.
How would you describe your job to a 5 year old? I am here to help students with their feelings, help them to figure out what they want to be when they grow up and help them with their school work so they can graduate high school.
You have your own late-night talk show; who would you invite as your first guest? Jennifer Lawrence – she seems so fun.