Vestavia Hills High School is led by a wonderful group of staff that is integral to the success of students. Teachers, administrators, club sponsors, coaches, custodians, and many other employees collaborate to continue Vestavia’s stature as a top high school in Alabama.
One unique position works behind the scenes of our high school’s daily activities to provide crucial one-on-one interaction with students. Daria Howard is a counselor at our school, and she has worked for the past 23 years to provide academic, emotional, and organizational support to the students and families of Vestavia.
“The role of a counselor, you just wear lots of hats.”
At Vestavia, many students only visit their counselor sporadically to receive advice about college applications, remodel their schedules, or plan their careers. The well-rounded capabilities of counselors are often forgotten within these technical meetings, but counselors are available to assist students in every area of their lives. Mrs. Howard describes the work as a culmination of helping students through any difficulties, assisting them in planning for the future, and overall maintaining an abundance of patience and empathy to simply listen.
“Just help them with what they might be dealing with. You don’t always give advice. You can’t. I think a lot of times I say to a student, I hope I helped you. And they’re like, yeah, you really did.”
While a majority of her career has been focused at Vestavia, Daria Howard has filled the role of counselor for over 40 years. She began her educational work as a band director, where she was able to gather and exemplify the crucial characteristics of an advisor: acceptance of differences and issues, passion for helping others, and ability to recognize the potential of students’ interests. Her expertise in improving the lives of those around her sparked a career shift into the role of counseling. She initially worked at Jefferson County Schools and Gresham Middle School (now Dolly Ridge Elementary) before being hired by VHHS in 2000. Her decision to work at VHHS was partially influenced by her family’s presence here, where her husband worked as a coach and teacher while her children attended as students.
“I got to not only be alongside my personal kids, but a lot of their friends, and just people I knew. But more importantly, just a great school system with great families.”
Continuing her career at Vestavia was an easy choice. Mrs. Howard defines one of Vestaiva’s best qualities as its ability to maintain a familial atmosphere despite the school’s exponential growth. Unlike her experiences at other schools, students have a greater possibility to maintain personal connections and interests through clubs and activities that unite the school community. Because of this unique atmosphere of harmony and determination, she had difficulty choosing a favorite memory at the school. One of the experiences that Mrs. Howard singles out is her earliest years at Vestavia, when the smaller class and faculty sizes prompted a greater scale of one-on-one interaction between counselors and students. Vestavia’s spirit has allowed this characteristic to persevere and evolve in the present.
“Just watching my students when they graduate every year is my favorite…I just love watching my kids succeed and be happy.”
How does the role of a counselor differ from other staff positions throughout the school? A counselor’s position is continuously developing to adapt to the political, academic, and societal conditions of the world. While counselors tackle “non-counseling” duties such as paperwork or organizing, the key aspect of the role is meeting the needs of students. Counselors assist students with their issues, but they can also adjust to support administrators, teachers, and all other staff members to help the system run smoothly. Counselors contrast from other academic occupations by serving as a liaison between all areas of VHHS.
“We really are the heart of the school or in our world now, where people just need help.”
Mrs. Howard retired following the 2022-2023 school year, but her adoration for her job and the school system has led to her continued presence here. She is currently still assisting Vestavia by filling in the vacancy of Mrs. Daneri during her maternity leave. Following this tenure, Mrs. Howard will leave Vestavia with a lasting impression of a passion-fueled contribution and a love for championing others’ progress.
“I hope that in some way, shape or form, any person I’ve met in school, I’ve touched their lives.”
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