They let you hang out in their offices, help you make important decisions, make themselves open to you 24/7. Who are they?
If you guessed LSTs, you’re right. LST stands for Learning Support Teams, but really, they’re so much more than that.
I don’t think the LSTs at LHS get enough credit for their non-stop care and support. The counselors know everybody by name and make themselves available as much as possible for anything. From schedule conflicts to personal problems, they make sure you know they’re here to listen and help.
Most school counselors help with schedules, make class adjustments and get to know you just enough so they can spell your last name without asking you three times how. The LHS LSTs, however, are much more exceptional and go way beyond the call of duty.
The LSTs make certain any student who needs them feels comfortable and never has to hesitate to ask a question. They make their offices warm with candy and posters and always greet you with a smile and talk to you like a friend.
Even the secretaries are exceptional. From letting you out of school to giving you your locker combination again, they’re always kind and helpful. They’re understanding when you need a pass and sympathetic when you go home sick.
It’s been pounded into every student’s head that high school is purely preparation for college. While we students have plenty of helpful recourses to get us there, it’s the LSTs that calm us down and assure us we’re prepared to take that next leap into the future.
They have conversations-- not lectures-- with you, and help create the schedules that will make college that much easier. They make it clear that they genuinely care about you and look out for your best interests.
Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior-- it doesn’t matter. We’ve all found ourselves running to our counselors for one reason or another: last minute schedule change or advice on a social issue. The LSTs never blow you off. If you make an appointment,they will spend more than your allowed time talking to you.
While some call them LSTs, I call them what they really are: unsung heroes of the school.
photo by Jess Dawson
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