This year, Mrs. Summers is one of several teachers leaving for retirement. She has been a counselor at Coronado for 20 years, but her teaching career spans 33 years.

When asked about what co-worker made an impact on her time at Coronado, she said Mrs. Sheila Cooper because, “She always seemed to know how to approach situations. She had a very calm, in control presence and was full of wisdom.”

Mrs. Summers loves counseling because no day is ever the same. She described a day in the counseling world as “[going] from [a] meeting with the top senior to discuss their college plans, and then [going] right on to a student in crisis who is struggling with their mental health.”

One of the many perks to her job was the social interaction. Mrs. Summers said that “I definitely love working directly with students.” On the flip side, “schedule changes, doing paperwork, and meetings are not my favorite!”

A unique thing about Mrs. Summers’ position is her ability to interact on a personal level with all students. “I have been a counselor for all 4 grade levels over the years,” she explains, which is a big reason she will be so missed!

Her career started in 1993 at Mitchell High School, and she has been able to see so much development in the world of mental health: “I definitely feel we have improved greatly in providing mental health assistance and resources for our students,” she reflects.

The most impactful moment of her career was when her daughter graduated from Coronado in 2006. Her favorite part of that moment was “to give her diploma to her up on the stage.” This was such a special moment for Mrs. Summers as a parent to share in that special moment of achievement with her daughter.

The best piece of advice she could give the remaining students and staff at Coronado is “don’t ever forget that human interaction is critical. Be willing to actively listen to others – give them your full attention.” This piece of advice is one that she believes will get us far in the future if we allow it to.

As for her retirement plans, Mrs. Summers says she plans to “spend more time in Mexico with my toes in the sand! I will most likely be doing something part-time that I enjoy. I’m just not quite sure what that is yet.”

From the bottoms of our hearts at Coronado, we wish her the best in the beaches of Mexico, lavishing in the sun without ever having to worry about schedule changes or meetings ever again!