Search | Menu Advice and Counsel: A High School Counselor’s Role
Interview with Baraboo High School counselor Brittany Schmidt
For many high school students, their school counselor is an invaluable source of postgraduation information and support. We spoke with Brittany Schmidt, a Baraboo School District school counselor about the options Madison College offers high school students.
For students attending nearby Madison College campuses, do convenient options impact their decision to continue their studies?
There are a number of reasons my students chose Madison College—a specific program, cost, convenience or they want to stay at home. For some students, yes, without the local options, they may not pursue higher education. I think some need that comfort of home to be able to transition better to being an adult.
In addition to the convenience, the wide variety of offerings that Madison College has makes a difference. It’s been great for many of our students.
How have the Early College programs been working for your students?
Reaching these students while they’re still in high school is, I think, one of the biggest benefits of having the Reedsburg and Portage campuses nearby. I worry about what some of my students will do after high school. For those students, if we can get them into college classes at Madison College while they’re still in high school, it can make all the difference. Then, I know that they’ve earned a specific certification or had experiences they can put on a resume, and their options start looking better.
It also boosts their confidence and independence, and then they come back here and tend to do better in our high school classes.
One student who was at Madison College doing Early College full-time last semester is a great example. He’s back in our building now, and I see an increased self-confidence. He’s performing better in his classes and showing up regularly. The experience really transformed him.
We’ve been seeing a trend and lots of media coverage lately about students increasingly heading into the trades or pursuing technical degrees instead of going to four-year institutions. Is this something that you’re experiencing with your students?
Yes, I think it’s just becoming more widely accepted. Students and families are starting to understand that you don’t have to go to a four-year university to get a job that’s going to be fulfilling or pay good money. A technical school is still higher education.
Having the welding program and the nursing assistant class so close to us helps expose students to those careers right away and get them interested—often when they’re still in high school.
