EVERYDAY HER0

Kelsey Martins, Jean Knowles, Emily Miller and Belinda Robinson are guidance counselors for the Washington School District.

While each focuses on different schools and students, they are the front line of helping students understand social and emotional health.

Martins works at Lincoln Elementary. She became a guidance counselor to help people.

'Growing up I was fortunate to have many compassionate educators that helped me through some difficult times during my youth, I, in some way, wanted to do the same,” she said.

Each morning she meetings with third-, fourth- and fifth-graders with her sidekick, Coral, the therapy dog.

She teaches the groups lessons about social, emotional and mental health. In the afternoon, she meets with students one on one to provide support on a variety of topics or concerns they have.

She likes being able to meet with every student and build relationships.

'I love getting to interact with the kids and being silly with them,” Martins said. 'The students will find me from time to time in an inflatable dinosaur costume throughout the building.”

The hardest part of the job is knowing what the students are going through, Martins said.

'You hear some pretty tough stories, and it breaks your heart,” Martins said.

But the best moments for Martins are seeing students' improvement and growth.

Martins said the students have been resilient during the pandemic. She said many of the changes haven't been easy, but the students have been transitioning like champs.

'This has been very scary at times, and sometimes there aren't clear answers to questions that these students have, and that is really tough,” Martins said.

She said fortunately the district has a referral program that provides students with mental health support.