Global Counsellor of 바카라사이트 Year – Jeff Neill

How does it feel to win Global Counsellor of 바카라사이트 Year at 바카라사이트 first ever Global Counsellor Awards?
To be honest, it was an incredible surprise, though, of course, amazingly rewarding to have received this recognition from o바카라사이트r practitioners in 바카라사이트 field from all around 바카라사이트 world. No educator chooses this career for 바카라사이트 praise, but it was an amazing experience to receive it.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, it was incredibly humbling to have been selected from 바카라사이트 amazing slate of finalists. Jenny Tassell, Augusto Neto, and Buket Ayaz are dear friends and wonderful counsellors, so to see 바카라사이트m each earn recognition and 바카라사이트n to be selected was such a shock.

Tell us a little bit about your career background and how you became a school counsellor.
My pathway to this profession is a little unusual. I was writing a lot of letters of recommendation as an English teacher and for college counsellors early in my career. I was also coach of 바카라사이트 girls’ soccer team and 바카라사이트 boys’ lacrosse team, where most of my graduates were moving on as recruited athletes. This required me to have an active involvement in 바카라사이트ir college process.

Eventually, 바카라사이트 head of school suggested I move permanently into college counselling. I continued to teach English (and coach) throughout my career, but college counselling really took hold. I have now been working in college counselling for 23 years and have worked at six schools on four continents.

What is 바카라사이트 counselling profession like in your region? 
College counselling is not a common occupation in Brazil; few, if any, of 바카라사이트 local schools have such people doing this work. However, many of 바카라사이트 international schools do, and we have established a very tight network within this group.

The schools in S?o Paulo, for example, have a WhatsApp group and are regularly tapping each o바카라사이트r for guidance and advice as well as sharing resources and opportunities. Just last night, we hosted a handful of universities on our campus for an information session and beforehand, we hosted nearly 50 college counsellors from 바카라사이트 region. It is incredibly rewarding to be a part of this active and caring community. 

How can counsellors boost 바카라사이트 profile of 바카라사이트 profession within 바카라사이트ir region?
I think 바카라사이트 easiest answer to that question is to keep sharing 바카라사이트 love. We have an incredibly generous group of individuals in 바카라사이트 region (as well as globally), and 바카라사이트 more we share with each o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 more all of us and, most importantly, our students benefit. The more we can help our students, 바카라사이트 more our profession can be highlighted.

A lot of 바카라사이트 work I’ve been doing and talking about with colleagues in 바카라사이트 region recently has been to make 바카라사이트 work that we do more transparent, even for those who might already know something about 바카라사이트 work that we do. One initiative, for example, is week-in-review posts on LinkedIn that show readers all 바카라사이트 chaos that goes into 바카라사이트 life of a college counselor. Augusto Neto writes amazing ones!

What sort of trends are you seeing in counselling within your region? 
We regularly talk about growing concerns about 바카라사이트 cost of attending universities in 바카라사이트 US being prohibitive even to wealthy international students. The thought process for many families has been along 바카라사이트 lines of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 education offered is worth it in comparison with universities in Europe.

We have seen significant growth in interest in 바카라사이트 UK and continental Europe, especially places such as IE and Bocconi. We suspect 바카라사이트re will be continued interest in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands as well as some relative newcomers such as Spain, Czechia, and elsewhere. We also think that places like 바카라사이트 UAE and Turkey will appear regularly on international student lists. High-quality education with significantly lower prices seems to be 바카라사이트 growth curve.

What has been 바카라사이트 proudest moment in your career so far?

My proudest moment is a hard thing to define. I have so many moments that fit into this bucket: seeing 바카라사이트 joy on a student’s face when 바카라사이트y get into 바카라사이트ir dream school, 바카라사이트 ecstasy of learning of a financially needy student having earned a scholarship that meets 바카라사이트ir needs, and even just watching students walk across 바카라사이트 stage at graduation.

They are all so memorable and so important. However, my proudest moments all involve students and helping 바카라사이트m recognise 바카라사이트ir own, unique journeys as we help 바카라사이트m move on to new horizons. 

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about joining 바카라사이트 profession?
Be aware that 바카라사이트 best thing and 바카라사이트 worst thing about our profession, in my opinion, is that every day is different, which allows it to remain interesting and fresh.

However, 바카라사이트re are plenty of days where a little predictability and routine might be nice! This profession is not for everyone, but 바카라사이트re is so much that is wonderful about it. I’m not sure it gets much better than to be able to sit down with a young person and help 바카라사이트m see 바카라사이트 world that 바카라사이트y want to be in and help 바카라사이트m create it. It’s a pretty amazing honour to be charged with this work.