New guidance counselor Emily Branch is enthusiastic about the opportunities and experiences that come with supporting students at a large school.
Branch graduated from Bridgewater State University with degrees in Psychology, Special Education and School Counseling. Before joining the Algonquin community, Branch (whose last name recently changed from Cotter) worked for three years at Bellingham High School, a smaller school with more limited resources. School size was one of the key reasons she took a position at Algonquin.
“I love it here,” Branch said. “I came here because I wanted to experience a bigger school community.”
Although she has lost her way navigating the hallways a few times, Branch said her transition has been smooth and she has enjoyed getting to know the community.
“I feel like I am really still getting to know the staff and all of my students, which has been great,” Branch said. “The staff here is so friendly. I love walking in the teachers’ classrooms because, first of all, I like to get out in the building, but I feel like every teacher’s classroom has its own personality which I really like here.”
While Branch enjoys connecting with the staff and discovering the unique character of each classroom, she also values the quieter day-to-day impact she can make as a guidance counselor. She believes that not every action needs to be monumental, taking pride in the smaller, while still significant, contributions she makes.
“[I just want] to be a listening ear for a lot of students, be a supporting hand for [students] so they know they know that my door is always open,” Branch said. “I’m here to stay.”
Recognizing that her students have cycled through several guidance counselors, Branch strives to build connections with each one of them to ensure they feel comfortable and included.
“I want to make sure that when students leave and graduate from high school they knew me,” Branch said. “I think sometimes you may not know your counselor super well, and I want to make sure that people feel like they have someone to talk to.”
Branch has known that she wanted to be a guidance counselor since her sophomore year of high school.
“My older brother, Sean, suddenly passed away and it changed my perspective on life,” Branch said. “My school counselor became very influential in my life and showed me that I could either allow my grief to negatively impact my life, or I could grow from it and help others that also may be struggling. I chose the latter and absolutely love what I do now. I have always said that I just hope I can make an impact on a student’s life like she did for me.”
Head of guidance Lisa Connery has loved getting to know Branch and believes she will be a wonderful addition to the department.
“I think that she is doing a great job,” Connery said. “She asks very good questions, she knows when to seek out help and [she] does a very good job taking charge of some things and trying on her own. I think she has a good balance.”
Outside of school, Branch enjoys spending time outdoors, particularly walking her family’s dogs. She also has a very energetic personality.
“I think I’ve always been outgoing,” Branch said. “I used to be nervous meeting new people, and now I feel like it’s easier because especially in my role, everyone I meet is new here. I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with that.”
Branch has also become a healthy risk-taker who has learned not to shy away from trying new things.
“I went skydiving in Australia and bungee jumping in New Zealand, which if you know me, I’m a scaredy-cat,” Branch said. “Realizing I could do it even though it was scary was super inspiring to myself.”
Branch says her more quiet, introverted side allows her to understand and empathize with a wide range of personalities.
“I like how I do have a little bit of an introverted side in the outside world so I can also really relate to my students that have that side to them, and I get that they’re not talking to me not because they don’t want to, but they’re just a little quieter,” Branch said.
Branch is looking forward to the year ahead and creating strong bonds with her students.
“Everyone is super nice,” Branch said. “[The Guidance] department is so supportive and they’ve been super helpful with all the questions that I have. All the counselors are just super kind human beings; it’s been a really great department to be a part of.”
