Kuhlwein aims to make a difference in students’ lives as guidance intern

Kathleen Ely

Guidance intern Rob Kuhlwein plans to draw from his personal experiences to make a positive impact on students.

Joseph Domolky, Staff Writer

Guidance counselor intern Ronald Kuhlwein doesn’t just “clock in and out;” instead he strives to help students succeed by using his own experiences as motivation. 

Returning to Massachusetts after 10 years, Kuhlwein is excited to start a new chapter of his life and thoroughly enjoys his first experiences as a guidance counselor.

Kuhlwein was initially driven to look into the profession after being let down by his own counselor in high school. Talking with a close friend who works as a guidance counselor made Kuhlwein excited to follow this line of work.

“I wanted to make a difference and help students in a way that I wasn’t particularly helped,” Kuhlwein said.

Although Kuhlwein’s internship through Assumption University began in August, he didn’t have much of a chance to interact with students until school reopened in early October. He appreciates being in the building with his colleagues and meeting students in person. 

“I couldn’t ask for a better supervisor [head of guidance Lisa Connery] or people to work with,” Kuhlwein said.

Despite the circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped him from learning a lot through his first internship. So far, he has engaged in the processes of making schedules and helping students with college work. 

“Sitting in on meetings and watching the excitement students have surrounding their next step in life is a nice push for me as an intern becoming a guidance counselor,” Kuhlwein said. 

This spring, Kuhlwein plans to graduate from Assumption and continue pursuing his passion for counseling. 

“I would definitely love to stay at Algonquin,” Kuhlwein said.