Del Val guidance counselor Kristin Henderson has just retired, and Jocelyn Moss has stepped into her shoes.
Moss has enjoyed her time at Del Val so far and is excited to get to know the students and faculty.
Moss attended Phillipsburg High School, where she found her love for helping others. The next step for her was college; however, she didn’t have anyone in her family to help guide her there.
“I’m the first to go to college in my family, so I had to figure that all out myself, then when I went to college I studied social work and then eventually realized I wanted to be a school counselor,” Moss said.
Because Moss was the first in her family to go to college, she had an Educational Opportunity Fund counselor who helped her navigate the difficulties. This helped her discover that she wanted to provide the same support for other individuals in the community she grew up in.
“I worked at Frenchtown elementary school in the 2021-22 school year, so I started there, and then worked at Phillipsburg since then, and now I’m at Del Val,” Moss said. “I chose Del Val because I like the sense of school community you all have. I love that you guys all seem to look out for each other from staff, students, your school community [and] parents.”
Moss emphasized that in bigger schools, it can often seem like you’re just on a case load, but a school like Del Val really allows everyone to connect with each other and build strong relationships.
“One of my favorite things is being able to see student growth, and have a front row seat to that,” Moss said. “I love working with a student, you know, getting them organized and kind of figuring out a path and getting them to that point and helping them reach those goals.”
Moss is very student focused, and wants to meet her students where they’re at. Her goals for the rest of the school year consist of getting the hang of Del Val, organizing and seeing what she can get more involved with.
Moss wants her students to know, “Ultimately, you’re in control. You’re in the driver’s seat, so your fate and your track in life is going to depend on your choices.”
Moss is excited to work with everyone at Del Val. To book an appointment with her, you can scan the QR code on the counseling bulletin board, or use the link attached to her signature in her email.
