New Faculty Profile: Ms. Rocio Guzman

Ariyani Thompkins | Sept. 15 2023 | features

Following the departure of former guidance counselor Ms. May Ibasco, Stanton College Preparatory School has recently hired two new counselors to support the student body. Ms. Rocio Guzman is one of these two and has taken over assisting students with the last names E through L. She has recently sat down with Devil’s Advocate to answer some questions the students may be interested in hearing. 

What does your educational background look like and what did you study?

“I studied psychology at New Mexico State University. I am from New Mexico so I went to my hometown university. I went for 4 years, took a break for 3 years in Spain, and then came back. And now I am here completing my masters at UNF in school counseling.”

Why did you decide to become a guidance counselor?

“I did not have a good counselor when I was in high school, and I always liked the school environment and getting close to the students over time. I wanted to be that person for the students.”

Have you worked at any schools in the past?

“Not as a school counselor, but I [have] always worked in education. In Spain, I was a language and culture ambassador. So, I taught the kids about my culture and English. My culture being Mexican, Hispanic, and American.”

So, what made you decide to choose Stanton?

“There were various schools I could have gone to. But when I started here, interviewed here, I did not know much about the schools in the area as I moved here only a year ago. But the environment was confident and welcoming compared to other schools, so that’s why I really enjoyed the school and the principals, teachers, and counselors and it made me want to be a part of that environment.”

What brought you to Jacksonville?

“When I applied to my masters program, I came back from Spain to New Mexico and applied to graduate programs. I chose UNF and that brought me here a year ago.”

 Do you have any new ideas that you think will help students? Or, any issues you feel the need to address through those ideas?

“Some of the things I want to work on are stress management and time management because the classes here are difficult and it can be stressful. I stress a lot, with school and work, so I want to be able to help the students to manage because not all of us are good at managing time or having time to yourself. I want to be able to educate students and help them when they are dealing with these issues. It is a lot, so it is difficult to manage everything when you are supposed to keep up with your grades, friends, family, and community. I understand because I am also a student and I work here. For example on Mondays, I get out at 3:20 p.m and then I have class from 4:30-10 p.m, so it is a lot and I understand the struggle. But, it is all worth it in the end though.”

How do you think students can rely on you for a sense of direction, regardless of their circumstance? How can you be someone they can come to?

“I think that I am a very trusting person and non- judgemental. I feel like that really makes people feel comfortable when they can come to me. I will never judge someone for anything and that makes them come to me.”

How do you intend to form connections with the students that may have gotten used to working with the previous counselors?

“I think it is about just building that connection. Everyone has different personalities and everything like that, but I can say that I can really connect with students. I am a student myself, I can connect and we can relate in a lot of other ways. It is hard when someone leaves, you have that stress of rebuilding a connection, like retelling my life and my academic history, but I just really want to be there for the students.”

For the seniors, what help can you provide regarding college applications or the college process in general?

“If they needed any recommendation letters or any advice about college I could provide help with that. I worked in GearUp last year, so I worked with teens and we went over Common App and everything, so I know a good amount about that. I also did my research on grad programs and different universities, so I have that experience and I went through that a year or two ago. Anything like figuring out what you want, because things change over time, I now know certain things and have that experience.”

What are you looking forward to in your time here at Stanton, in the next week, month, year?

“I am looking forward to the assembly, to see how loud it is. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone and building connections with the students because I think that is the most important part.”