Recently, MIHS introduced a new counselor from Youth and Family Services (YFS). YFS counselors Chris Harnish and Caleb Visser now rotate between the high school and middle school, with Kate Howell, a YFS counselor, previously only working with the middle school.

“The goal is to expand the kinds of support students can access and make it easier for everyone to find a counselor they feel comfortable talking to,” Howell said. “At the moment, the high school YFS counselors are all men, and the middle school YFS counselors are both women. By swapping for a half day each week, we can offer students at both schools additional options to increase the chances that every student can connect with someone who feels like the right fit for them.”

Howell will be present at MIHS on Mondays from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. while Visser is at the middle school. This adjustment encourages all students to seek support from a variety of individuals, regardless of gender, so that they can find someone right for them.

“For some students, having a counselor of a particular gender helps them feel more comfortable, and we want to honor that,” Howell said. “Offering both male and female counselors gives students more choice, which helps build trust and makes support more accessible. My goal is for every student to feel seen, heard and understood, and this rotation simply gives students one more path to support if they need it.”

MIHS offers many ways for students to reach out for help and express their voices, so the idea is to make mental health resources feel as accessible as possible.

“When students have more options and feel empowered to reach out, it strengthens the overall culture of support,” Howell said. “At the end of the day, I want students [to] feel supported, safe and connected. If this rotation helps even one student feel more comfortable reaching out, I feel it is worth it.”