Get to Know West-MEC's New Counselors
Western Maricopa Education Center is excited to celebrate National School Counselor’s Week and wants to highlight the fantastic work that our counselors do every day. This year, West-MEC has introduced three new counselors to our staff, and they have been excelling in their roles and have been a fantastic addition to the West-MEC family.
Counselors play an essential role in students’ lives and are the glue that holds our West-MEC family together. There are six counselors across our four campuses, and half are new to West MEC this year. They are Sabrina Poggi at Southwest Campus, Bobby Vernier at Northwest Campus, and Joely Sanders at Central Campus.
Starting a new job can be a tough transition but all three shared a similar sentiment that the switch to West-MEC was a smooth one.
“There can be a lot of anxiety that comes with coming in to a new job, but we were all hired for specific reasons. People saw something that we could bring to the table,” said Poggi. “Our leadership team has done a great job making us feel welcome and help us serve our students to make an impact.”
To be a school counselor, one must be passionate about helping students and have a sense of creating a positive impact.
Especially at a career and technical education school district like West-MEC, where students prepare today for tomorrow’s careers. Not only does one have to have a passion for helping students, but a passion for CTE itself.
“Providing kids with these opportunities to get them useful real-world skills is important. Even if they pursue another passion, they’ve always got something to fall back on,” said Vernier. “CTE has given kids the opportunity to explore and it makes sure they’re prepared for whatever comes their way in life.”
Being a school counselor is an enriching experience, and the growth of the students they see firsthand is often the best part of the job for a counselor.
“I like to see the students’ progression from coming in on their first day to when they graduate or complete their program. Seeing the students accomplish things and the celebration of that is my favorite part of being a counselor,” said Sanders.
Poggi, Vernier, and Sanders have some fun interests outside of work. Poggi and Sanders both mentioned how much they like to hike, travel and spend time with their family.
Vernier likes to spend time with his dog and family as well, but most of his time outside of work, he spends volunteering, as he is on the board of multiple school organizations.
“I believe in service. I was a product of servant leadership when I was in high school, and here I am 20 years later,” said Vernier. “It’s still a big part of my life, and I try to pass that on to my students as well.”
These counselors have taken their West-MEC roles in stride and are doing great work for their students and community. They haven’t been here long but are already impacting West-MEC.
“My favorite part about being a school counselor is having meaningful conversations with students and being a resource to them, because sometimes kids may not have anyone else to talk to. We make sure we help with the whole student, not just their academic performance but their social and emotional well-being,” said Poggi. “There’s a great culture at West-MEC. There’s a great energy about being here and we are all really lucky to be here.”
