With a sigh of annoyance, Counselor Mr. Cary Smith watches as his “Do Not Disturb” sign flutters off his door once again. Though tiresome, the sight has become a constant event that never fails to welcome him to his new workplace.
An alumnus from the high school, Mr. Smith graduated in 2007 and later earned a B.A. in Psychology at UC Berkeley. He returned to Southern California for graduate school, spending two years at Cal State Northridge to earn a Masters in Counseling.
During his time here as a student, Mr. Smith was a member of the band, track, wrestling team and football team. Now, he is the counselor for last names Lin, K. to P.
“I really enjoyed being at school and doing activities,” Mr. Smith said. “But today I’m working with students and it’s kind of weird to be on the other side, because instead of being the one who experiences high school, I’m more of the one making the experience.”
Mr. Smith has also coached the Junior Varsity football team for the past two years and is coaching the freshmen team this year with his former classmate, History Teacher Mr. Riley Saxon. When he doesn’t need to call in or talk to a lot of students, Mr. Smith can be found walking around campus.
“I kind of wander during break or during lunch just to kind of chat and hang out,” Mr. Smith said. “I play ‘League of Legends,’ I play video games, I coach football and I like sports so it’s nice to kind of talk to everybody about stuff that’s not just school.”
Though Mr. Smith is excited to be back and had a great experience here, he understands that it is not the same for a vast number of students.
“I would wish my experience on every student,” Mr. Smith said. “Coming back here as a counselor is a cool way where I can kind of meet and work with students who maybe aren’t having that great of a time or having some struggles and then try and help them work through that so that high school can be as enjoyable for them as it was for me.”
TCHS School Newspaper