The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
New counselor to promote mental health, graduate plans
The newest addition to the Vermilion High School counseling team is ready to make a lasting impact on the district and its students.
Zachary Watson, 31, of Lakewood, who starts Aug. 21, will work alongside counselors Jordan Fahr and Cara Habermehl on grades eight through 12 and with last initials H through O.
Watson said his new position with the district is a dream come true, as he has always wanted to counsel high schoolers.
“I’m trying to mentally prepare, going from working with six, seven, eight year olds, to 16, 17, 18 year olds, so it’s very exciting,” he said. “I’m nervous, but it’s a good nervous because I’ve always wanted to work with high schoolers.”
Education minded
Watson said after having a handful of teachers and an excellent counselor when he was in high school, he knew he wanted to go into education.
After receiving his teaching license and graduating from Bowling Green State University in 2011, Watson took up an eighth grade social studies teaching gig before realizing after a year that he wanted to take his career in a different direction.
He then moved to Dayton and received a master’s in school counseling from the University of Dayton.
Watson counseled at a middle school at TrotwoodMadison City Schools in Trotwood for two years and most recently, at an elementary school with the Westerville City Schools district in Westerville.
“I loved the kids in elementary school,” he said. “I just didn’t feel like it was the right fit for me.”
Watson’s move to Northeast Ohio came when his fiance, Carley Berman, started law school at Cleveland State University, when he began looking for work in the area.
In interviewing for the position at Vermilion High, Watson said something clicked with the staff and administration.
“It was just a great click, just one of those good interviews,” he said.
Administrative approval
Vermilion High principal Lisa Deliz said she was a part of the hiring process for the new counselor and Watson fit the bill for the school’s mission.
“Zach definitely stood out in the sense of when we sat around the table, he values what the school’s mission is,” Deliz said.
Watson’s focus on preparing high schoolers for life beyond school with career-focused skills is what made him the perfect candidate, she said.
“His excitement and passion for helping kids passion to transition into next phase of life is what came out during his interview,” Deliz said.
Additionally, his experience with younger students and as a teacher gives him a unique understanding and experience to the high school.
“It’s a perspective that not all school counselors have,” Deliz said.
Watson also said he hopes to help integrate a program for recent graduates of Vermilion High to come to for resources and advice for career and college plans that may have fallen to the wayside after graduation.
Mission accepted
Watson said his main passions he brings to the counseling table include mental health and suicide prevention, adding that breaking the stigma can lead to students understanding their emotions in more healthy ways.
“We need to be partnering with those families in the community and really working together to make sure that these students are coming to school feeling safe, feeling that they’re heard, feeling that there’s people there to listen to them,” he said.
This sense of security, Watson said, comes with a balance of addressing poor behavior and being there for students.
“I don’t really think i give advice, but I listen to the kids and try to help them better understand their feelings,” he said.
Part of this trust comes from being involved in the district.
“I want to be visible,” Watson said. “I want to be throughout the building going into classrooms, seeing students in the morning, maybe taking on like a club or an after-school activity ... I want to be all in with the school district. I want to be there for a long time.”