Ramina Samuel

I serve as a school counselor at Niles North High School, where I am currently in my 8th school year. My journey in this field began when I earned my Master's of Science in School Counseling from National Lewis University, following my bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Illinois at Chicago. The master's program took about 3 years and included practicum and internship experiences. In my first year after graduation, I filled in for maternity leave in a school counseling role for one semester, then worked as a behavior specialist for the second semester since I am a licensed professional counselor. Prior to that, I worked for an alternative learning opportunities program serving at-risk students. In my current role, I serve students and families across three main domains: academic counseling (helping with classes, grades, teacher issues, executive functioning, course registration and selection), social-emotional support (providing solution-focused, short-term counseling and regular check-ins), and post-high school planning (college and career counseling throughout all four years, helping students explore interests, narrow down options, and navigate the college application process or other paths like trades, gap years, or employment). My days are never typical - I respond to crises as they arise, participate in IEP and 504 meetings as the 504 coordinator for my students, conduct one-on-one meetings with students, and attend various department meetings. Beyond my counseling duties, I am deeply committed to advocating for equity, particularly for the Assyrian community, which represents an estimated 30% of my district. Since 2018, I have led the initiative to get the Assyrian language program approved at the state of Illinois, making it a first in the nation and establishing our district as a model for other states. I also successfully advocated for the inclusion of the Assyrian genocide as a unit of study under Holocaust and genocide education at the state level, working in collaboration with the Arizona Genocide Center. I sponsor a parent group for the Assyrian community and a cultural club for students. I am also a strong advocate for the school counseling profession itself, working to shift the perception and practice from the old 'guidance counselor' model to the modern school counselor role, which emphasizes social-emotional support and is data-driven rather than purely reactive.