Kelly Smith’s path to becoming a school counselor at Willowcreek Middle School was paved with a passion for helping and making a difference in the lives of children. As she continues to navigate the challenges of a post-COVID-19 world, Smith remains a beacon of support for students in Portage.
“The role of counseling has changed quite a bit in the last few years,” said Smith. “I always tell people that we are still called guidance counselors, but we really push to be called school counselors. We’re not just about doing schedules anymore. We provide a lot of mental health awareness, and we work a lot with students who are dealing with mental health-related issues.”
A native of Merrillville, Smith moved to Portage in the first grade. She then graduated from Portage High School and later pursued her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University Bloomington. Initially drawn to the medical field, she majored in kinesiology with aspirations of becoming a physical therapist. However, Smith found that her true calling lay in the realm of mental health counseling.
“I always thought I would do something medical-oriented,” said Smith. “I feel like physical therapy was a newer career back then. It was tough to get into the program, and math was not my strong suit. I did have a psychology class that I found intriguing and I kept taking those types of courses. Even though I did not graduate with a major in psychology, I realized there was not a lot I could do with a kinesiology degree. I decided to work on my master’s and go back to something I really loved, which was school. Something also always drew me into therapeutic types of things.”
After achieving her master’s in mental health counseling at Purdue University Calumet (now Purdue University Northwest), Smith equipped herself with the knowledge and skills to support students facing a broad range of challenges. Her occupation began with work at George L. Myers Elementary School and South Haven Elementary School.
“I initially was terrified to work with elementary kids, but that turned out great,” said Smith. “When I had the opportunity to come to Willowcreek, I worked with a counselor, Judy Shrader, who had been here for years. Shrader was also the counselor when I went to Willowcreek. She just retired, but I had 21 years working with her, and she always kept me on my toes. We had differences, but she always made me want to be a better counselor.”
As a school counselor at her 22-year mark, Smith’s days are filled with a diverse array of tasks and interactions. From addressing student referrals and parent concerns to creating schedules to help ensure students’ academic success, Smith fully integrates herself in the service of counseling. Her role extends beyond academics, as she provides invaluable guidance and support to students who struggle with emotional, social and personal issues.
“I think, especially since COVID started, we have seen such an upsurge in things like anxiety, depression and poor use of social media,” said Smith. “We counselors spend a lot of our time helping students develop coping skills and refer them to more intensive resources, if need be. We spend more time with social-emotional types of issues. We know that students are not going to learn in the classroom academically if they’re not feeling secure and strong.”
Despite these ongoing challenges, Smith works diligently alongside her colleagues, including Lena Ramirez, to implement positive changes at Willowcreek. Smith extends great gratitude to her team and exudes optimism for more integrative projects.
“This year was a big transitional year with having a new conflict partner, Sarah Wilkins, come in,” said Smith. “It was a good time for me to make some changes in this department. We established new resources, such as a reset room, some coping skill centers for students here and I got a grant to make a wellness room for the staff here to provide a break in their day. The focus for next year may be geared toward working on some respect issues for all staff members, students and families for an overall better atmosphere.”
Outside of work, Smith values her strong network of friends and the sense of community that Portage offers. She spends time with her husband Jeff and her two daughters, who had the wonderful privilege of attending Willowcreek. Smith often explores the nearby beach as part of her daily meditation. She takes pride in her huge beach glass collection and often takes her Poodle-Terrier mix rescue dog on her beach trips.
“I am lucky we moved a few years back into off the Dunes,” said Smith. “I love living near the beach and it is my happy place. I love that I have the opportunity to be out there as much as I am. My husband and I both grew up here in Portage and we have a really good network of people in our lives. We have good friends and our families are still here, so it makes it a nice place to live.”