School counselling intern Maggie Craig works with Clarke Central High School counselor Toawondia Underwood. Craig currently attends the University of Georgia as a professional school counseling major. “(UGA is) different from where I went to undergrad because it’s so big. And southern football is this whole big world, really different. But I like it a lot. The program’s great,” Craig said.
Photo by Julie Alpaugh.
By CHRISTINA KURIAN – Digital Copy Editor
School counselor intern Maggie Craig started working at Clarke Central High School in August and hopes to continue working here until the end of the school year.
Christina Kurian: What college are you from?
Maggie Craig: For my undergrad, I went to Georgetown University in Washington D.C., and I’m getting my masters right now at the University of Georgia.
CK: Where are you from? What brought you to Clarke Central High School?
MC: I am from upstate New York originally, and I came to CCHS in August to start my year long internship working with mostly Toawondia Underwood and the other counselors here, so that I can learn everything a school counselor does.
CK: What interests you about being a school counselor?
MC: I love school. I always have loved school, and I love being in a school. I love working with students. I like the academics. I like the social and emotional stuff. I really love the college planning part. I just think it’s a fun exciting job with lots of different things going on.
CK: How has your schedule changed by being an intern here at CCHS from before?
MC: Things are busier now. In our first year of our masters program, we aren’t at an internship site as much. We’re only (there) one day a week, and we have a lot more class. But now, I’m here more and in class less.
CK: What is your favorite part of being a student intern?
MC: Meeting all the students at CCHS. I love when I get to talk to you guys and get to know you and walk around the hallways and see kids hanging out.
CK: So, when did you decide to become a student intern? How long did you think about it?
MC: I wanted to be a teacher after I graduated. So, I was a teacher for a year and found out pretty quickly I wanted to be a counselor instead. So, that was when I was about 23, I decided on school counseling and then, applied and went from there.
CK: What made you change from teaching to counseling?
MC: I felt like, I taught first graders and so, that was really different and I really like, love that age. But, I mostly like older students, and I like high school. And I just felt like my strengths would better suit as a counselor.
CK: So, is that how you got involved with being a student intern? Did someone help you throughout the process?
MC: Our program coordinates internship sites for all of us. So, there are 12 people in my program at UGA, and our professors connect us to schools in Clarke County and other counties. Like some people want to work in Atlanta or in Gwinnett County, so they set up my internship here. They communicated with the counselors and said, ‘Does anyone want an intern?’ and then, they emailed back and set it up.
CK: Do you want to add on anything else?
MC: Just that I’m so excited to be here, and I’m glad you asked to chat and if anyone ever sees me in the hall, say, “Hi” introduce yourself.
CK: Are you planning on coming back to CCHS?
MC: Oh my gosh, if a job ever opened up, I would love to work here, but you already have a great team.
