Along with some of the changes here at WTMS…we welcome a new counselor to our crew, Ms. Hallinan! Ms. Hallinan is the new seventh grade counselor for 2023-2024 (and hopefully beyond).
I’m sure everyone wants to know a little more about Ms. Hallinan and what exactly drove her to pursue a career in school counseling.
“ My mom has been a teacher for over 35 years, and I always thought I would follow in her footsteps. I knew I wanted to work in a school setting and work directly with students, but it was actually my own school counselor in middle school who truly inspired me to go into this field. She had a profound impact on my middle school experience, and made navigating adolescence a little less stressful and a little more manageable. It was then that I knew that I wanted to become a school counselor and help future middle school students. I grew up in Cherry Hill and graduated high school from Cherry Hill East. I then went to undergrad in Philadelphia at La Salle University where I got my degree in Psychology. I just completed my master’s program in the spring from Temple University with a degree in Counseling Psychology, with a double track in School Counseling & Mental Health Counseling, added Hallinan.
As we all know, every member of the school faculty plays a crucial part in the success of WTMS, each with their own goals for their students.
“My hope this year is to provide a safe space for students and to serve as an advocate and support system for them. My plan to help them is to encourage and empower them throughout this school year to be the best version of themselves,” explains Ms. Hallinan.
As most of you know first hand, middle school can be quite a challenging experience to navigate. Having counselors that truly understand the day to day struggles of a middle school student can be an amazing asset.
“The most common thing I have seen middle school students struggling with the most has been navigating changing friendships and relationships with their peers. During this developmental period, peer relationships are the center of everything. That feeling of connectedness and belonging is essential. Friendships and friend-groups are constantly changing (positively and negatively) especially in the beginning of the year when students are returning from summer break. These changes can be a challenging adjustment for students. Though this might be a challenge, I believe that middle school students are resilient and capable of overcoming challenges,” describes Hallinan.
We wanted to know exactly how Ms. Hallinan’s experience has been so far this year and how the students of WTMS compare to those from her previous schools.
“My experience at Winslow so far has been wonderful. I feel grateful that I get to work with such amazing students, and that I have been welcomed with open arms by the faculty and staff. Shout-out to my amazing team, Mrs. Kimbrough & Ms. Reid who has helped me (and continues to help me) every step of the way! In 5-10 years, I hope that I am still working here at the middle school! I am also a proud “Jersey Girl” and plan to stay here to hopefully raise a family one day,” describes Hallinan.
Well, we certainly hope you stick around, too! Now that we know more about Ms. Hallinan’s professional background, we all want to know a little more about her. I wonder if she has any fun facts about herself?
“A fun fact about me is that I love to sing and listen to music! I had the honor and privilege of singing at The White House during my senior year of high school (and even got to meet former President Barack Obama).”
Well, be sure to say hello to Ms. Hallinan if you see her around WTMS…and maybe even ask her to sing a little tune!
