There's Nothing Wrong with My State of Mental Health, by Sharon

After graduating from Slidell High, I attended LSU. I loved my time at LSU and decided to devote the next seven years of my life there. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1990, and since you really can’t do anything with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, I started graduate school that fall. In 1993, I graduated with a master’s degree in counseling. I worked for a couple of years in mental health jobs and decided that the most stable position would be in the educational environment which I was so accustomed to. I became employed as a counselor in the junior division at LSU in 1995. It was interesting to go from being a student to being an employee at the same institution. I enjoyed helping students register for classes and decide what they want to do in life. While working at LSU, I met my future husband, Web D. He was working on his doctorate in speech communication. I knew that academia would continue to play an important part in my life.

Web and I married in 1998 and moved to Clinton, Mississippi, after he accepted a teaching position at a local private college. I eventually found a counseling position at a community college where I currently work. I work with a lot of high school students as well as adult students. I have found that students today are still just as confused as they were twenty years ago and need lots of guidance. It is rewarding to see students find their “niche” and get excited about their majors and future career plans.

Web and I are blessed to have two children, Lauren, who is four years old, and Jon David, who will be two in September. Parenthood is definitely the most challenging thing I’ve done so far, but also the most rewarding.

As I reflect back on my high school years, I feel lucky to have had the strong academic background that Slidell High provided. I am thankful for good teachers and classes that stimulated my interests (like Mrs. Goldberg’s psychology class). I am also thankful for the experiences that made high school so much fun—Swingerettes, senior play, school clubs, dances, and good friendships, to name a few.