We're All in This Together - High School Rocks!

 As you know, if you follow this blog, I am going to school to become a MASTER of School Counseling.  I am half way through the program now and just finished my practicum. We are to start an internship in the fall and complete 600 hours between September and June of next year.  Not bad right? Only 20 hours a week, no big deal.  Until I was reminded that there are only a few paid internships around and I have to work to help pay the bills for now.  Well, with no paid internship in sight, I was planning on working my 40 hours with the state, 20 hours of internship at a school, 4 hours of class, about that many of homework, travel time, church stuff, and hope that my husband and puppy don't forget I exist.  Needless to say, I was a little stressed.  Especially after doing my practicum of only 8 hours a week and all that other stuff, I thought I was being a little stretched, I could not imagine adding 12 more hours into my week schedule somehow.  I was thinking I'd need to call Hermione Granger at Hogwarts and see if I could borrow her time-turner necklace or is she knows where I can get one for real cheap. Then Jeph had to go and break my heart and tell me that Hermione is not real and magic does not exist.  That was a sad day. (I'm still not 100% convinced, cuz me and Harry, we've bonded and there is no way that is made up so it all must be real.)

Anyway, me, being dramatic (I blame that on the birth control) and stressed about all of this just about lost my mind thinking that the school year had ended and I procrastinated setting up an internship for next year in hopes that something would come along.  (This is getting really long and boring - I'd apologize - but if you have a problem with it find someone else to stalk).  Luckily, my favorite school district also put off hiring school counseling interns until after school was out for summer, so I had another chance at getting a paid internship.  I applied and was interviewed at two absolutely fabulous schools, one middle school and one high school. At this point, I would have accepted a job as a school janitor or lunch lady just to be at the school in hopes that I could get some internship hours without killing myself.  To my amazement and surprise, both interviews went really well and I was happy to think that either one just might give me a chance next year.  I interviewed with the high school first and the middle school the following day.  Both told me I would most likely not hear from them until the beginning of the following week unless things went really well.  Well just hours after I interviewed with the middle school, one of the high school assistant principals called me and said that those who interviewed me had all gone out of town for the rest of the week, but that they recruited him to call my references and me as soon as possible so that I didn't accept any other positions and offered me the PAID INTERNSHIP at ALTA HIGH SCHOOL!!!  I was extremely flattered! Of course I accepted and he welcomed me on as a Hawk (I've been an Indian, Bear, Pirate, Spartan, Viking, Pheonix, and now a Hawk - very cool)! After my lengthy explanation, you should be able to imagine the relief as the sound of angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus came flooding into my gloomy work office that day! I've been walking on sunshine and loving life ever since!

To my amazement, the assistant principal from the middle school called me the following day to congratulate me on getting the internship at the high school (I guess they talk - awkward since the high school kinda sneaked in under the middle school's nose and stole me out from under them - calling after they knew I was interviewing with the middle school to set up an appointment the day before I was supposed to go to the middle school, then calling me the day of my interview with the middle school to offer me the position - I don't know about you, but I'm thinking they had someone sneaky working on this one) and to tell me that he would never forget that I told him I was raised on a farm.  hhmmm.  I never would have imagined that growing up on a farm would be so memorable, but if it would have gotten me the job, than I'll use that line in every interview from now on!  Anyway, I'm flattered that I was even considered for one or both positions and grateful that at least one of them selected me to work with them. I hope they don't mind my dramatic, sarcastic, lame personality.  Maybe, they just realize how much easier it will be for me to relate to the high school students than it would some old serious person who has never even heard of let alone seen High School Musical one, two, or three - LOVE THEM! (maybe junior high would have been a better fit ... nah.)

Anyway, this has been such a blessing and an answer to a lot of prayers (thank you moms for your faith - I couldn't have done it without you).  I cannot even express how grateful and relieved I am about getting this internship (despite the pay cut I'll be taking which isn't saying much since I work for the state and don't make that much in the first place. Jeph is more upset about it than me anyway, I'm just grateful I MIGHT get to keep my mind sane for one more year). GO HAWKS!