CONTACT:  Wendy V. Long, Public Relations

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Cianfrani  comes to Gateway to “help students reach new heights”

Huntington – How many of us, I wonder, can recall a counselor in our childhood schools who made a real and meaningful difference in our lives?  How many of us have children in schools today lucky enough to have professional school counselors who go that extra mile to support their children’s learning and school success; help them plan for their futures; offer needed support during challenging personal times? 

National School Counseling Week was held earlier in February, with the theme of “helping students reach new heights.” And Gateway High School has a new guidance counselor who is determined to do just that.

Celeste Cianfrani was hired this year to work with two veteran guidance counselors—Jeff Fisk and Pauline McCarthy—before they retire later this year.  Originally from the Philadelphia area, Cianfrani attended Ohio State University, where she played Lacrosse and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. She stayed at Ohio State for the year following graduation, as an Assistant Coach with the women’s lacrosse program.

From there, Cianfrani worked abroad for two years, teaching and coaching lacrosse at an exclusive boarding school for girls in England. The experience of living on campus with the students led to a shift in career goals.  “It became less about coaching lacrosse and more about building relationships with the students and helping them with the many issues that arose in their lives.”

Cianfrani realized that she wanted to continue to work with young adults in this capacity, and understood that she would need a graduate degree to do so.  She returned to the United States to enroll in the School Counseling program at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.  She has completed her Master’s program and CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study).

Cianfrani says that coming to Gateway was “exactly what she wanted.  The school’s size makes it possible to quickly get to know the students and staff.”  It also gave her the chance to work with long-time guidance counselor Jeff Fisk, before he retires in June—taking years of the department’s history with him.  “The school is changing with the retirements of long-time teachers and staff members,” said Cianfrani.  “At the same time, the field of school counseling is also undergoing changes.”

The newly defined counselor’s role is seen in The Massachusetts Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, officially launched in 2006 to revamp, redefine and formalize the role of the professional school counselor.  School counselors must now address all students’ academic, personal/social and career planning needs. 

“We are very much in step with the nation in this regard—on the cutting edge of best practice in our profession,” said Robert Bardwell, President of the Massachusetts School Counselor Association.  Cianfrani had a front row seat to the reform effort, serving as the Graduate Student Liaison to the Governing Board Massachusetts School Counselors Association. 

One of her responsibilities in that role was to help plan the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 conferences for the organization.

New High School Guidance Counselor, Celeste Cianfrani.