Academic and Personal Counseling
The Counseling Department at Scranton Prep provides services that focus on the Jesuit principal of cura personalis which is a Latin phrase meaning “care for the individual person.” This Jesuit ideal is fundamental to our tradition and to Ignatian values.
Students’ unmet mental health needs pose barriers to learning and healthy development. High school presents unique challenges to young people at various times and in various circumstances throughout their adolescence. Prep’s counselors are uniquely trained in mental health and qualified to provide group facilitation and individual counseling, instruction, and advisement & appraisal, in support of all aspects of the student as an individual. Whether these challenges are academic, personal, or social, counselors walk with each student every step of the way.
As a component of this program, the school counselors at Prep collaborate with other educators and community mental health providers as needed in an effort to meet the needs of each student. Through these and other efforts, our counselors strive to build and strengthen supportive relationships among students and their parents, teachers, coaches, and school administrators in the formation of a “well rounded person who is intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving and committed to doing justice in generous service to the people of God” (Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, cited in Go Forth and Teach: The Characteristics of Jesuit Education, 1986).
2022-2023 Counselor Assignments
Mr. Matt Bernard
Freshmen: A – Getts
Sophomores: A – Hannon
Juniors & Seniors: A – Giordina
Mr. Paul Woelkers
Freshmen: Ghimirey – Oven
Sophomores: Haus – Padula
Juniors & Seniors: Gnall – Newman
Mrs. Sarah Abrahamsen
Freshmen: Pappas – Z
Sophomores: Palazzari – Z
Juniors & Seniors: Newton – Z
High School Development
Throughout freshmen year, students will explore what they need in order to adjust to the rigors of Scranton Prep. Each freshmen will meet with his or her counselor individually as well as in small groups throughout the school year. Developing good study habits, building relationships, learning how to balance school, athletics, and extracurricular activities, sustaining a meaningful social life, social pressures, course selections, and proper management of anxiety and stress are among the issues explored in the first year.
Additional Programs for Freshmen
- The PSAT
- Freshmen Parent Night
- Introduction to Naviance (college, planning website)
- Individual Parent Meeting (by request)
At Scranton Prep, the sophomore has hopefully matured beyond freshmen year, and has begun to develop a unique pride in themselves, their school, and their friends. But the sophomore year at any Jesuit high school can be an especially challenging transition.
This is a year of both internal and external exploration. Through individual and group sessions, sophomores will explore their Prep experience more deeply with a focus on two formative questions: What do you want to do? and Who do you want to become? These questions will allow for students to develop a more meaningful understanding of who they are and will set a context for further reflection on how their answers to these questions inform decisions about college, careers, vocations and other life choices.
Additional Programs for Sophomores
- The PSAT
- Sophomore Parent Night
- Individual Parent Meetings (by request)
- College Day at The University of Scranton
Juniors have reached a turning point which marks the beginning of a two-year look at what life will look like beyond Scranton Prep as they begin to prepare for college. Individual and group sessions will allow for self-refelction and goal exploration.
Additionally, in conjunction with the Office of Campus Ministry, juniors will participate in Ignatian Discernment Groups, which will help them begin to focus on their calling-what they want, where they fit, and what will help them thrive beyond Prep-in colleges, in careers, and in life.
Juniors will also learn about SAT and ACT preparation, and will officially begin the college admissions process later in the year. Juniors will meet their College Counselor during the second half of the year to discuss the overall college process and to develop strategies for how to approach standardized testing, build a resume and further their academic success.
Additional Programs for Juniors
- The PSAT, SAT, and ACT
- Junior Parent Night
- Course Selection Assembly
- College Day
- Career Day
- Individual Parent Meeting (by request)
At Scranton Prep, three college counselors assist with the college admissions process, and they do so with the guiding philosophy that our young men and women will excel on the college level especially if they find the right college for them as an individual.
A senior’s worldview is heavily influenced by the realities of today’s social media and popular culture, and it’s important to acknowledge this when entering into the college process. Therefore, true discernment and self-awareness are at the core of Prep’s college program and application process.
College counselors challenge our young men and women to make the most informed decisions possible in relation to their college search. At times this means deemphasizing things like name recognition and prestige and emphasizing a more holistic and collaborative approach among the counselor, the student, and their parents. The goal? Finding the right fit.
Our college counselors come to know each individual senior extremely well and guide them along every step of the college search, application, and selection process, financial aid, interviews, NCAA Clearinghouse, letters of recommendation, the essay (in conjunction with the English Department), and other topics related to the college transition. Our counselors have long-standing relationships with many admissions directors and officers at colleges and universities across the country, and are in regular contact with them throughout the process.