The Clarion is excited to introduce our newest staff member, Mr. Jackson Cianciulli, who will serve as our new guidance counselor. We interviewed him about his personal life and work life, and he answered the questions with great enthusiasm.
The Clarion: What influenced you to be a school counselor?
Mr. Cianciulli: Quickly into my college experience, I realized that my goal in life was to work with students in some capacity. While I was initially on the teaching path, I reflected on my own experiences in school and had the most positive things to say about my school counselor. When I was in high school, my counselor helped me navigate my own anxieties and classes, and eventually supported me throughout the college admissions process. My personal experiences, alongside my desire to have 1-on-1 relationships with my students, led me to the field of school counseling.
The Clarion: Tell us about a successful (satisfying) case that you have handled?
Mr. Cianciulli: In a previous role, part of my job was to help ensure students who were behind in credits were on track to graduate. There was one student of mine who I was told by multiple adults in the building “wouldn’t graduate” and that my meetings were more of a formality than anything. He needed to pass every marking period of every course he was enrolled in and pass multiple summer classes in order to graduate. This motivated me to check in frequently and closely monitor that student’s gradebook, as well as working with him to reframe why his education mattered. At the end of the summer, I got a text confirming that he graduated and it’s one of the best messages I’ve ever received. While I think the obvious success was him graduating, the bigger win for me was allowing a student to help tap into his potential and recognize both the importance of his education and his innate capability to succeed.
The Clarion:How do you keep yourself organized?
Mr. Cianciulli: It can be a challenge! In my professional and personal life, I rely a lot on my Reminders app and Google Calendar to keep everything easily accessible. I also like to utilize templates and spreadsheets to help make certain deadlines and information easily accessible.
The Clarion: What makes you want to work at Hawthorne High School?
Mr. Cianciulli: As a new member of the community, I have sincerely enjoyed all of my interactions with the students, faculty, and the families here in Hawthorne. We have a diverse student body with so many different cultures, interests, and life desires represented… I feel very fortunate to work in a school that highlights and uplifts these differences, while also unifying everyone through the palpable school spirit. I appreciate that my role as a school counselor puts students first and allows me the ability to make them my priority. I genuinely look forward to coming to work… and I wouldn’t say I’m much of a morning person, so that really speaks volumes to the broader culture within this district and the many different aspects of my job that I love.