Clarke Central High School counseling intern and University of Georgia education specialist student Skyla Chon works at her desk in the counseling department on March 9. Chon wanted to expand the outreach of the counseling department and connect with students at Clarke Central High School. “I’m hoping to leave (CCHS) with stronger skills as a school counselor (and) some good experiences with whatever people I’m able to get to know while I’m here,” Chon said, “Hopefully I will have supported some students and made their semester a little bit easier.” Photo by Audrey St.Onge
University of Georgia student Skyla Chon is interning with CCHS to gain real-world experience in counseling.
Clarke Central High School accepted University of Georgia student Skyla Chon as a new intern in the counseling department in 2022. Chon works part-time at CCHS to gain real-world experience, develop her counseling skills and get her education specialist degree at UGA.
Counseling department secretary Kelly Savage feels that the internship program is a strong opportunity for Chon.
“I think it’s amazing. (Interns) get real time, real action, hands-on experience and that’s fantastic. They go into their field already prepared and knowing what they’re doing, and they’re ready for students,” Savage said.
According to Chon, working with the CCHS counseling department has allowed her to apply the skills she has learned in her classes.
“I’ve been learning so much, and the whole counseling team here has been so supportive of me and has been teaching me so much. Working with kids is very different than sitting in a classroom,” Chon said. “I think that most people would be able to tell that when you’re learning things in class, the application in the real world can feel very different.”
“I’ve been learning so much, and the whole counseling team here has been so supportive of me and has been teaching me so much. Working with kids is very different than sitting in a classroom.”
— Skyla Chon,
counseling department intern
As an important part of the experience Chon is gaining, she hopes to connect with the students and staff at CCHS.
“As an intern, they say our primary purpose of being here is for us to develop our skills so that we can be better school counselors in the future,” Chon said. “But a part of my goal is to really get to know all the staff and the students that I’m able to meet in my pretty brief time here and to support them along the way, and of course, get better myself.
